Wednesday, October 30, 2019

The implications of the Euro-Zone Crisis and Its Impact on India Essay

The implications of the Euro-Zone Crisis and Its Impact on India Economy - Essay Example India is not part of the Euro-zone but it is a recipient of the crisis as the zone forms its larger market in Europe. We shall look more on the Euro-zone crisis; its genesis, forces behind it and the measures taken to deliver it from total breakdown. We shall also be seeking to understand India’s economy and the economic imbalanced it can be if its market is understood. Lastly we shall conclude with the long term effects of the global economy in India. The Euro-zone is a union composed of 18 member countries that use Euro as a common currency. The countries in the Euro zone compose of Netherlands, Slovakia, Italy, Latvia, Ireland, Luxembourg, France, Finland, Germany, Cyprus, Estonia, Austria, Belgium, Slovenia, Spain, Greece, Malta and Portugal, (EU publication office 2009, 23). The euro zone is under European central bank that is governed by a president. It also has a board that oversees the working of the bank. The bank is mandated to see that inflation is put under control. There is also the euro group that makes decisions regarding the politics of the union and the euro (Gupta & Gupta 2010, 42). In the late 2000, there was a financial crisis and the Euro group acted by establishing provisions that would allow the group to give emergency loans to member countries in return for endorsement of economic reforms. These helped the member countries to get onto their feet from the high-unanticipated inflation that had taken centre stage in the many countries (Singh 1997, 82). Many countries member of the Euro zone do not use the Euro currency as the main currency in their countries but use it to do business in the Euro zone and European Union at large. There are other countries that are part of the European Union but do not fall under the Euro zone. These countries include; Andorra, San Marino and Vatican City. They use Euro as their currency (European communities 2004, 94) A number of factors caused the Euro zone crisis. These included

Sunday, October 27, 2019

User Adoption Momentum of E Banking In Malaysia

User Adoption Momentum of E Banking In Malaysia In the era of globalization and with the increasing competition in all the fields around the world many companies have modified their strategies so they can reach their customers around the world easier and cheaper. However the rapid growth of systems that rely on electronic technology especially those relating to the Internet and personal computer- led to a significant change in the exchanging of products and services. Many  Service organizations have adopted modern technology to reduce costs and enhance customer service quality, delivery, and standardize core service offerings. In addition a lot of non-banking companies entered the banking industry by offering products and financial services, giving the customers a lot of options and alternatives to carry out their banking transactions, this difficulty of the business process in the financial sector forces the banks to develop an alternative technological channel to attract customers and improve their perception. The rapid technological diffusion makes the internet the best way to provide customers with banking services regardless of the limits of time and geography. And thats what makes banks  consider the  internet as an important part of their strategic plans. Internet technology has changed the design and the way of delivering the financial services and as a result the banking industry has made continuous innovations especially in the field of communications and information technology that ultimately led to the emergence of the idea of what is known as the online banking. Banking services through the internet is a way to keep the existing customers and attract others to the bank, In this paper we define online banking as an internet portal, through which customers can use different kinds of banking services ranging from bill payment to making investments (Pikkarainen et al., 2004). Compared to the traditional approach, online banking is an inexpensive straightforward way to conduct banking business, exchange of personalized information and buying and selling goods and services from any place at any time. Despite the many benefits provided by this service to the bank and its customers, it remains a double-edged sword and not used by every customer, because the increasing distance between the bank and customers may lead to lack of confidence and an increasing in security concerns. As a result, the quality of electronic banking services become an important area of attention among the researchers and banks managers due to its strong influence on the business performance, lower costs, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and profitability (Seth et al., 2004). The main objective of this study is to focus on the importance of understanding the customers perception about internet banking by investigating and measuring the impact of selected factors such as perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), security and privacy (PC) and how they can influence the customer acceptance to conduct banking transactions via the internet, Based on the empirical data collected from individual customers in Bahrain. In the next section we will give some background information about the internet banking sector and review the relevant literature in this area, the following section describes the research methodology, which is then followed by the data analysis and the results from the survey, The paper concludes with a discussion, outlining the implications of the findings and the limitations of the study. 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) External variables Perceived usefulness Perceived ease of use Behavioral intention Actual system use Figure 1: The original Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1989) The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is a perfect model which show how users accept and use a technology. In (TAM) the main determinants of users acceptance of new technology are perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) (Davis, 1989). Although (Chen and Barnes 2007; T.C. Edwin Cheng et al. 2006) found that perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and security and privacy affect customer adaptation intentions, Qureshi et al., (2008) claimed that Perceived usefulness, security and privacy are the main perusing factors to accept online banking system. Celik (2008) stated that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use are direct determinants of customers attitudes towards using internet Banking. Traditional service quality and website features (PU, PEOU and PC) that give customers confidence build trust in e-banking (Yap, K et al. 2010). Aderonke and Charles. (2010) found that Banks customers who are active users of e-Banking system use it because it is convenient, easy to use, time saving and appropriate for their transaction needs. Also the network security and the security of the system in terms of privacy are the major concerns of the users and constitute hindrance to intending users. Yap, K et al. (2010) claimed that Traditional service quality and website features that give customers confidence build trust in e-banking. Sadeghi and Hanzaee. (2010) found that According to the model of seven factors on the following dimensions: convenience, accessibility, accuracy, security, usefulness, bank image, and web site design. Some of these factors illustrate a significant statistical difference between males and females. Safeena et al. (2009) found that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, consumer awareness and perceived risk are the important determinants of online banking adoption. These factors have a strong and positive effect on customers to accept online banking system. Alda ´s-Manzano et al. (2009) found that TAM beliefs and perceived risks (security, privacy, performance and social) have a direct influence on e-banking adoption. Trust appears as a key variable that reduces perceived risk. Involvement plays an important role in increasing perceived ease of use. Riyadh et al. (2009) stated that Seven variables affecting e-banking adoption by SMEs are identified. They are: organizational capabilities, perceived benefits, perceived credibility, perceived regulatory support, ICT industries readiness, lack of financial institutions readiness and institutional influence. Al-Somali et al. (2009) found that the quality of the Internet connection, the awareness of online banking and its benefits, the social influence and computer self-efficacy have significant effects on the perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) of online banking acceptance. Education, trust and resistance to change also have significant impact on the attitude towards the likelihood of adopting online banking. Jahangir N. and Begum N. (2008) noted that perceived usefulness, ease of use, security and privacy, and customer attitude are significantly and positively related to customer adaptation. Hanudin Amin. (2007) found that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and perceived credibility had a significant relationship with behavioral intention. Further, these measures are good determinant for undergraduate acceptance for internet banking. Results also suggest that PU and PEOU had a significant relationship with computer self-efficacy. Z Liao and WK Wong. (2008) found that perceived usefulness, ease of use, security, responsiveness and convenience significantly influence customer interactions with Internet e-banking. In particular, individuals would place a great emphasis on the security of Internet-based financial transactions. As a conventional practice, commercial banks and financial institutions must continuously review security policy and strengthen the security control of Internet e-banking Wai-Ching Poon. (2008) found that all elements for ten identified factors are significant with respect to the users adoption of e-banking services. Privacy and security are the major sources of dissatisfaction, which have momentously impacted users satisfaction. Meanwhile, accessibility, convenience, design and content are sources of satisfaction. Besides, the speed, product features availability, and reasonable service fees and charges, as well as the banks operations management factor are critical to the success of the e-banks. WAP, GPRS and 3G features from mobile devices are of no significance or influence in the adoption of e-banking services in this study. Results also reveal that privacy; security and convenience factors play an important role in determining the users acceptance of e-banking services with respect to different segmentation of age group, education level and income level. Padachi et al. (2007) found that the most significant factor is ease of use and that other important elements featured reluctance to change, trust and relationship in banker, cost of computers, internet accessibility, convenience of use, and security concerns. Chen, Y. H. and Barnes, S. (2007) pointed out that perceived usefulness, perceived security, perceived privacy, perceived good reputation, and willingness to customize are the important antecedents to online initial trust. It is also discovered that different levels of trust propensity moderate perceptions toward the web site and online with respect to online initial trust, including perceived usefulness, perceived security, perceived privacy, perceived good reputation, and willingness to customize. Both online initial trust and familiarity with online purchasing have a positive impact on purchase intention. T.C. Edwin Cheng et al. (2006) found that The results provide support of the extended TAM model and confirm its robustness in predicting customers intention of adoption of IB. This study contributes to the literature by formulating and validating TAM to predict IB adoption, and its findings provide useful information for bank management in formulating IB marketing strategies. We analyzed the data using Structured Equation Modeling (SEM) to evaluate the strength of the hypothesized relationships, if any, among the constructs, which include Perceived Ease of Use and Perceived Web Security as independent variables, Perceived Usefulness and Attitude as intervening variables, and Intention to Use as the dependent variable. The results provide support of the extended TAM model and confirm its robustness in predicting customers intention of adoption of IB Moutaz Abou-Robieh. (2005) found that there was a correlation between respondents attitudes towards e-banking and their comfort level and feeling of security with regard to their age, level of education, and annual salary. 2.1 Perceived ease of use (PEOU) Safeena et al. (2009), Jahangir N. and Begum N. (2008), Z Liao and WK Wong. (2008) and Amin. (2007) stated that perceived ease of use have a strong and positive influence on customers intention to adopt and use internet banking. 2.2 Perceived usefulness (PU) Several studies showed that perceived usefulness influence customer interactions with internet banking, which effect the adoption of e-banking services (Sadeghi and Hanzaee. 2010; Safeena et al. 2009; Al-Somali et al. 2009; Jahangir N. and Begum N. 2008; Hanudin Amin. 2007, Z Liao and WK Wong.2008 ). 2.3 Perceived credibility (PC) Previous research has shown that security and privacy are the most concern for consumer, which have a direct or indirect influence on e-banking adoption (Aderonke and Charles, 2010; Sadeghi and Hanzaee, 2010; Alda ´s-Manzano et al., 2009; Riyadh et al. 2009; Jahangir N. and Begum N., 2008; Z Liao and WK Wong., 2008). Privacy put barriers on using online services (Hernandez and Mazzon, 2007). Moreover, Wai-Ching Poon. (2008) and Moutaz Abou-Robieh. (2005) noted that privacy and security factors play an important role in determining the users acceptance of e-banking services with regard to age, education level and income level. 3.CHALLENGES 4.1 RESEARCH MODEL AND HYPOTHESES The model of the study is presented below: Perceived usefulness Perceived ease of use Perceived credibility Intention to use Electronic Banking The representation of the proposed framework depicted the pattern and structure of relationships between the set of the measured variables. The purpose of the study is to measure correlations among variables and then use it to identify whether any relationships exists between these measured variables or not. We will extended TAM and add PC into the framework to test the effect of these three factors on e-banking adaption. In the extended model of TAM study, like (Safeena et al. 2009; Alda ´s-Manzano et al. (2009); Hanudin Amin, 2007), the attitudes factor has been neglected to simplify the model. The present study investigated the relationship between perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived credibility and customer intention to use electronic banking in Bahrain. Here perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and perceived credibility, were being considered as independent variables and customer intention to use electronic banking was being considered as a dependent variable. Perceived usefulness According to the Davis (1989) and Davis et al. (1989), perceived usefulness is the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would enhance his or her job performance. Perceived usefulness is defined as the individuals perception that using the new technology will enhance or improve her/his performance (Davis,1993). In Addition, Laforet and Li, (2005) and Eriksson et al., (2005) defined the term perceived usefulness as the subjective probability that using the technology would improve the way a user could complete. We hypothesize that People tend to use an application to the extent they believe it will aid their performance. H1: Perceived usefulness (PU) has a positive effect on customer Intention to use Electronic banking. Perceived ease of use According to Davis (1989) perceived ease of use refers to the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would be free of effort. The most significant factor on adoption Internet Banking is ease of use. (Padachi et al., 2007). Hence an application perceived to be easier to use than another is more likely to be accepted by users. And By applying these to electronic banking context we can hypothesize that: H2: Perceived ease of use (PEOU) has a positive effect on customer Intention to use Electronic banking. Perceived Credibility Perceived credibility is defined as the degree to which a user feels the certainty and pleasant consequences of using an electronic application service, when there is no financial risk, physical risk, functional risk, social risk, time-loss risk, opportunity cost risk, and information risk Jacoby and Kaplan (1972). However, (Ganesan,1994) present another definition of PC stating it as the extent to which one partner believes that the other partner has the required expertise to perform the job effectively and reliably. PC is usually impersonal and relies on reputation, information and economic reasoning (Ba and Pavlou,2002). Wang et al. (2003) stated that perceived credibility is consists of two important elements namely privacy and security, which affect directly consumer adaptation of electronic banking systems. Security refers to the protection of information or systems from unauthorized intrusions (Egwali, 2008). For the purpose of this research, perceived credibility (PC) is defined as users perception of protection of their transaction details and personal data against unauthorized access. Therefore, for studying the effect of perceived credibility on users acceptance in Bahrain electronic banking services, we pose the following hypothesis to determine it effect on users intention H3: perceived credibility has positive effect on customer Intention to use Electronic banking. 4. Methodology To assess the factors influencing the intention to use internet banking in Bahrain, a survey was conducted during the last quarter of year 2010. A Questionnaire were designed and distributed to retail users of banking services of different age group and of different educational level attained across the island. Survey Instrument The questionnaire we prepared for this exercise was divided into 2 sections. The first section concentrates on the general profile of the respondent including his/her age group, education level and profession and income group. In the second section we were interested in finding the factors affecting the customer intention to use internet banking in Bahrain. The respondents were provided with a list of 10 questions; 4 questions on perceived usefulness, 2 questions on perceived ease of use, 3 questions on perceived credibility and finally 1 question on intention to use. The participants were asked to indicate their perception on a likert scales (1- 5) with response ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The collected data were analyzed based on correlation and regression analyses using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 17computer program. Data collection The questionnaires were distributed directly among the customers through the researchers friends and relatives, a sample of 400 people was randomly chosen from the Bahraini community, all participants were bank customers selected randomly from universities, malls, Internet cafÃÆ' ©s and businessmen from private and public sectors. Also A digital online form was created using Google Documents in the same questionnaire style, Then the link was shared and publicized to Bahrainis through email as well as posting it on discussion forums. Once a subject would answer the questionnaire, the raw data will automatically be logged in a spreadsheet which can be only accessed and downloaded by the researcher. Since the questionnaire form was to be submitted online it guaranteed two things: First, it targeted people who really access the internet. Second, because all questions are need to be answered before submitting. The collection of data will be done automatically, efficiently and there wont be any loss of data The questionnaire we prepared and used had been pre-tested initially with a few number of people (5 users) working in different sectors to ensure consistency, clarity and relevance to the Bahraini case, Minor changes (related to the questions content, wording, sequence) were requested by those people, which we implemented before carrying out the final copy. A total of 200 useable responses were obtained yielding a response rate of 50% (200/400). Demographic profile of respondents: variable category Frequency Valid Percentage Age 18 25 25 35 35 45 45 yrs and above Gender Male Female Education Secondary and below Diploma Bachelor High studies Occupation Government sector Private Sector Self-employment Others Monthly Income in BD Less than 500 500-1000 1000 and above Assumptions or Limitations For this research, the following limitation existed in the collection of data, the survey assumed that the respondents have some familiarity with banks and banking transactions and have been exposed to or have knowledge of the existence of e-banking alternatives. For these responses in particular, it was difficult to ensure the true validity of the responses or the identity of the respondent. REFERENCES Aderonke and Charles. (2010). An Empirical Investigation of the Level of Users Acceptance of E-Banking in Nigeria. Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, vol. 15 (1). Al-Somali, S.A., Gholami, R. and Clegg, B.(2009). An investigation into the acceptance of online banking in Saudi Arabia. Technovation, vol. 29, pp.130-141. Al Nahian Riyadh, Md. Shahriar Akter , Nayeema Islam. (2009). The adoption of e-banking in developing countries: A theoretical model for SMEs. International Review of Business Research Papers, vol. 5 (6), pp.212-230. Ba, S. and Pavlou, P.A (2002). Evidence of the effect of trust building technology in electronic market: price premiums and buyer behavior.MIS Quarterly, vol. 26 (3), pp. 243-68. Celik, H. (2008). What Determines Turkish customers acceptance of internet banking? International Journal of Bank Marketing. Vol. 26 (5): 353-370. Chen, Y. H. and Barnes, S. (2007), Initial Trust and Online Buyer Behaviour, Industrial Management Data Systems, 107(1): 21-36. Davis, F. D. (1989), Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, and User Acceptance of Information Technology, MIS Quarterly,13 (3): 319-339. Davis, F. D., Bagozzi, R. P. and Warshaw, P. R. (1989), User Acceptance of Computer Technology: A Comparison of Two Theoretical Models, Management Science, 35(8): 982-1003. Davis, F. D. (1993). User acceptance of information technology: system characteristics, user perceptions and behavioral impacts. International Journal of Man-Machine Studies,38, 475-487. Davis, F. D., Bagozzi, R. P., Warshaw, P. R. (1992). Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation to use computers in the workplace. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 22(14), 1109-1130. Egwali A. O., Customer Perception of Security Indicators in Online Banking Sites in Nigeria, Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, December 2008, vol. 13, no.3. Eriksson K, Kerem K, Nilsson D (2005). Customer acceptance of internet banking in Estonia, International Journal of Bank Market, vol. 23 (2), pp. 200-216. Ganesan, S.(1994), Determinants of long-term orientation in buyer-seller relationships. Journal of Marketing, Vol.58 (2), pp.1-19 Hanudin Amin (2007). Internet Banking Adoption Among Young Intellectuals. Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, December 2007, vol. 12 (3) Jacoby, J., Kaplan, L. B. (1972). The components of perceived risk. Paper presented at the Proceedings of the 3rd Annual Conference of the Association for Consumer Research, College Park, MD. Joaquin Alda ´s-Manzano, Carlos Lassala-Navarre, Carla Ruiz-Mafe and Silvia Sanz-Blas. (2009). Key drivers of internet banking services use , Online Information Review, Vol. 33 (4), pp. 672-695. Laforet S, Li X (2005). Consumers attitudes towards online and mobile banking in China. International Journal Bank Market vol. 23 (5), pp. 362-380. Moutaz Abou-Robieh. (2005). A Study of E-Banking Security Perceptions and Customer Satisfaction Issues. Nadim Jahangir and Noorjahan Begum. (2008). The role of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, security and privacy, and customer attitude to engender customer adaptation in the context of electronic banking. African Journal of Business Management, vol.2 (1), pp. 032-040. Padachi, Rojid, Seetanah.(2007). Analyzing the Factors that Influence the Adoption of Internet Banking in Mauritius. Patrick, T. (2002). Corporate Privacy Credibility Crumbles. Computer world, March, 4(10). Pikkarainen, T., Pikkarainen, K., Karijaluoto, H. and Pahnila, S. (2004), Customer acceptance of on-line banking: an extension of the technology acceptance model, Internet Research, vol. 14(3), pp. 224-235 Qureshi, T.M., Zafar, M.K and Khan, M.B. (2008). Customer Acceptance of Online Banking in Developing Economies. Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, Vol. 13 (1). Safeena, Abdullah and Hema. ( 2010). Customer Perspectives on E-business Value: Case Study on Internet Banking. Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, vol. 15 (1). Seth, N., S.G. Deshmukh and P. Vrat, 2004. Service quality models: A review, International Journal Quality and Reliability Management, vol. 22(9), pp. 36-51. T.C. Edwin Cheng, David Y.C. Lam and Andy C.L. Yeung. (2006) Adoption of internet banking: An empirical study in Hong Kong. Decision Support Systems, vol. 42 (3), pp 1558-1572 Tooraj Sadeghi and Kambiz Heidarzadeh Hanzaee. (2010). Customer satisfaction factors (CSFs) with online banking services in an Islamic country I.R. Iran. Journal of Islamic Marketing, vol. 1 (3), pp. 249-267 Wai-Ching Poon . (2008). Users adoption of e-banking services. Journal of Business Industrial Marketing, vol. 23 (1), pp. 59-69 Wang, Y., Lin, H., Tang, T. (2003). Determinants of user acceptance of internet banking: an empirical study. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 14(5), 501-519 Yap, K., D. Wong, C. Loh, and R. Bak (2010). Offline and online banking where to draw the line when building trust in e-banking. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 28(1), p.27-46 Z Liao and WK Wong. ( 2008). The determinants of customer interactions with internet-enabled e-banking services. Journal of the Operational Research Society, vol. 59 (9). User Adoption Momentum of E Banking In Malaysia User Adoption Momentum of E Banking In Malaysia In the era of globalization and with the increasing competition in all the fields around the world many companies have modified their strategies so they can reach their customers around the world easier and cheaper. However the rapid growth of systems that rely on electronic technology especially those relating to the Internet and personal computer- led to a significant change in the exchanging of products and services. Many  Service organizations have adopted modern technology to reduce costs and enhance customer service quality, delivery, and standardize core service offerings. In addition a lot of non-banking companies entered the banking industry by offering products and financial services, giving the customers a lot of options and alternatives to carry out their banking transactions, this difficulty of the business process in the financial sector forces the banks to develop an alternative technological channel to attract customers and improve their perception. The rapid technological diffusion makes the internet the best way to provide customers with banking services regardless of the limits of time and geography. And thats what makes banks  consider the  internet as an important part of their strategic plans. Internet technology has changed the design and the way of delivering the financial services and as a result the banking industry has made continuous innovations especially in the field of communications and information technology that ultimately led to the emergence of the idea of what is known as the online banking. Banking services through the internet is a way to keep the existing customers and attract others to the bank, In this paper we define online banking as an internet portal, through which customers can use different kinds of banking services ranging from bill payment to making investments (Pikkarainen et al., 2004). Compared to the traditional approach, online banking is an inexpensive straightforward way to conduct banking business, exchange of personalized information and buying and selling goods and services from any place at any time. Despite the many benefits provided by this service to the bank and its customers, it remains a double-edged sword and not used by every customer, because the increasing distance between the bank and customers may lead to lack of confidence and an increasing in security concerns. As a result, the quality of electronic banking services become an important area of attention among the researchers and banks managers due to its strong influence on the business performance, lower costs, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and profitability (Seth et al., 2004). The main objective of this study is to focus on the importance of understanding the customers perception about internet banking by investigating and measuring the impact of selected factors such as perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), security and privacy (PC) and how they can influence the customer acceptance to conduct banking transactions via the internet, Based on the empirical data collected from individual customers in Bahrain. In the next section we will give some background information about the internet banking sector and review the relevant literature in this area, the following section describes the research methodology, which is then followed by the data analysis and the results from the survey, The paper concludes with a discussion, outlining the implications of the findings and the limitations of the study. 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) External variables Perceived usefulness Perceived ease of use Behavioral intention Actual system use Figure 1: The original Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1989) The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is a perfect model which show how users accept and use a technology. In (TAM) the main determinants of users acceptance of new technology are perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) (Davis, 1989). Although (Chen and Barnes 2007; T.C. Edwin Cheng et al. 2006) found that perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and security and privacy affect customer adaptation intentions, Qureshi et al., (2008) claimed that Perceived usefulness, security and privacy are the main perusing factors to accept online banking system. Celik (2008) stated that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use are direct determinants of customers attitudes towards using internet Banking. Traditional service quality and website features (PU, PEOU and PC) that give customers confidence build trust in e-banking (Yap, K et al. 2010). Aderonke and Charles. (2010) found that Banks customers who are active users of e-Banking system use it because it is convenient, easy to use, time saving and appropriate for their transaction needs. Also the network security and the security of the system in terms of privacy are the major concerns of the users and constitute hindrance to intending users. Yap, K et al. (2010) claimed that Traditional service quality and website features that give customers confidence build trust in e-banking. Sadeghi and Hanzaee. (2010) found that According to the model of seven factors on the following dimensions: convenience, accessibility, accuracy, security, usefulness, bank image, and web site design. Some of these factors illustrate a significant statistical difference between males and females. Safeena et al. (2009) found that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, consumer awareness and perceived risk are the important determinants of online banking adoption. These factors have a strong and positive effect on customers to accept online banking system. Alda ´s-Manzano et al. (2009) found that TAM beliefs and perceived risks (security, privacy, performance and social) have a direct influence on e-banking adoption. Trust appears as a key variable that reduces perceived risk. Involvement plays an important role in increasing perceived ease of use. Riyadh et al. (2009) stated that Seven variables affecting e-banking adoption by SMEs are identified. They are: organizational capabilities, perceived benefits, perceived credibility, perceived regulatory support, ICT industries readiness, lack of financial institutions readiness and institutional influence. Al-Somali et al. (2009) found that the quality of the Internet connection, the awareness of online banking and its benefits, the social influence and computer self-efficacy have significant effects on the perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) of online banking acceptance. Education, trust and resistance to change also have significant impact on the attitude towards the likelihood of adopting online banking. Jahangir N. and Begum N. (2008) noted that perceived usefulness, ease of use, security and privacy, and customer attitude are significantly and positively related to customer adaptation. Hanudin Amin. (2007) found that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and perceived credibility had a significant relationship with behavioral intention. Further, these measures are good determinant for undergraduate acceptance for internet banking. Results also suggest that PU and PEOU had a significant relationship with computer self-efficacy. Z Liao and WK Wong. (2008) found that perceived usefulness, ease of use, security, responsiveness and convenience significantly influence customer interactions with Internet e-banking. In particular, individuals would place a great emphasis on the security of Internet-based financial transactions. As a conventional practice, commercial banks and financial institutions must continuously review security policy and strengthen the security control of Internet e-banking Wai-Ching Poon. (2008) found that all elements for ten identified factors are significant with respect to the users adoption of e-banking services. Privacy and security are the major sources of dissatisfaction, which have momentously impacted users satisfaction. Meanwhile, accessibility, convenience, design and content are sources of satisfaction. Besides, the speed, product features availability, and reasonable service fees and charges, as well as the banks operations management factor are critical to the success of the e-banks. WAP, GPRS and 3G features from mobile devices are of no significance or influence in the adoption of e-banking services in this study. Results also reveal that privacy; security and convenience factors play an important role in determining the users acceptance of e-banking services with respect to different segmentation of age group, education level and income level. Padachi et al. (2007) found that the most significant factor is ease of use and that other important elements featured reluctance to change, trust and relationship in banker, cost of computers, internet accessibility, convenience of use, and security concerns. Chen, Y. H. and Barnes, S. (2007) pointed out that perceived usefulness, perceived security, perceived privacy, perceived good reputation, and willingness to customize are the important antecedents to online initial trust. It is also discovered that different levels of trust propensity moderate perceptions toward the web site and online with respect to online initial trust, including perceived usefulness, perceived security, perceived privacy, perceived good reputation, and willingness to customize. Both online initial trust and familiarity with online purchasing have a positive impact on purchase intention. T.C. Edwin Cheng et al. (2006) found that The results provide support of the extended TAM model and confirm its robustness in predicting customers intention of adoption of IB. This study contributes to the literature by formulating and validating TAM to predict IB adoption, and its findings provide useful information for bank management in formulating IB marketing strategies. We analyzed the data using Structured Equation Modeling (SEM) to evaluate the strength of the hypothesized relationships, if any, among the constructs, which include Perceived Ease of Use and Perceived Web Security as independent variables, Perceived Usefulness and Attitude as intervening variables, and Intention to Use as the dependent variable. The results provide support of the extended TAM model and confirm its robustness in predicting customers intention of adoption of IB Moutaz Abou-Robieh. (2005) found that there was a correlation between respondents attitudes towards e-banking and their comfort level and feeling of security with regard to their age, level of education, and annual salary. 2.1 Perceived ease of use (PEOU) Safeena et al. (2009), Jahangir N. and Begum N. (2008), Z Liao and WK Wong. (2008) and Amin. (2007) stated that perceived ease of use have a strong and positive influence on customers intention to adopt and use internet banking. 2.2 Perceived usefulness (PU) Several studies showed that perceived usefulness influence customer interactions with internet banking, which effect the adoption of e-banking services (Sadeghi and Hanzaee. 2010; Safeena et al. 2009; Al-Somali et al. 2009; Jahangir N. and Begum N. 2008; Hanudin Amin. 2007, Z Liao and WK Wong.2008 ). 2.3 Perceived credibility (PC) Previous research has shown that security and privacy are the most concern for consumer, which have a direct or indirect influence on e-banking adoption (Aderonke and Charles, 2010; Sadeghi and Hanzaee, 2010; Alda ´s-Manzano et al., 2009; Riyadh et al. 2009; Jahangir N. and Begum N., 2008; Z Liao and WK Wong., 2008). Privacy put barriers on using online services (Hernandez and Mazzon, 2007). Moreover, Wai-Ching Poon. (2008) and Moutaz Abou-Robieh. (2005) noted that privacy and security factors play an important role in determining the users acceptance of e-banking services with regard to age, education level and income level. 3.CHALLENGES 4.1 RESEARCH MODEL AND HYPOTHESES The model of the study is presented below: Perceived usefulness Perceived ease of use Perceived credibility Intention to use Electronic Banking The representation of the proposed framework depicted the pattern and structure of relationships between the set of the measured variables. The purpose of the study is to measure correlations among variables and then use it to identify whether any relationships exists between these measured variables or not. We will extended TAM and add PC into the framework to test the effect of these three factors on e-banking adaption. In the extended model of TAM study, like (Safeena et al. 2009; Alda ´s-Manzano et al. (2009); Hanudin Amin, 2007), the attitudes factor has been neglected to simplify the model. The present study investigated the relationship between perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived credibility and customer intention to use electronic banking in Bahrain. Here perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and perceived credibility, were being considered as independent variables and customer intention to use electronic banking was being considered as a dependent variable. Perceived usefulness According to the Davis (1989) and Davis et al. (1989), perceived usefulness is the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would enhance his or her job performance. Perceived usefulness is defined as the individuals perception that using the new technology will enhance or improve her/his performance (Davis,1993). In Addition, Laforet and Li, (2005) and Eriksson et al., (2005) defined the term perceived usefulness as the subjective probability that using the technology would improve the way a user could complete. We hypothesize that People tend to use an application to the extent they believe it will aid their performance. H1: Perceived usefulness (PU) has a positive effect on customer Intention to use Electronic banking. Perceived ease of use According to Davis (1989) perceived ease of use refers to the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would be free of effort. The most significant factor on adoption Internet Banking is ease of use. (Padachi et al., 2007). Hence an application perceived to be easier to use than another is more likely to be accepted by users. And By applying these to electronic banking context we can hypothesize that: H2: Perceived ease of use (PEOU) has a positive effect on customer Intention to use Electronic banking. Perceived Credibility Perceived credibility is defined as the degree to which a user feels the certainty and pleasant consequences of using an electronic application service, when there is no financial risk, physical risk, functional risk, social risk, time-loss risk, opportunity cost risk, and information risk Jacoby and Kaplan (1972). However, (Ganesan,1994) present another definition of PC stating it as the extent to which one partner believes that the other partner has the required expertise to perform the job effectively and reliably. PC is usually impersonal and relies on reputation, information and economic reasoning (Ba and Pavlou,2002). Wang et al. (2003) stated that perceived credibility is consists of two important elements namely privacy and security, which affect directly consumer adaptation of electronic banking systems. Security refers to the protection of information or systems from unauthorized intrusions (Egwali, 2008). For the purpose of this research, perceived credibility (PC) is defined as users perception of protection of their transaction details and personal data against unauthorized access. Therefore, for studying the effect of perceived credibility on users acceptance in Bahrain electronic banking services, we pose the following hypothesis to determine it effect on users intention H3: perceived credibility has positive effect on customer Intention to use Electronic banking. 4. Methodology To assess the factors influencing the intention to use internet banking in Bahrain, a survey was conducted during the last quarter of year 2010. A Questionnaire were designed and distributed to retail users of banking services of different age group and of different educational level attained across the island. Survey Instrument The questionnaire we prepared for this exercise was divided into 2 sections. The first section concentrates on the general profile of the respondent including his/her age group, education level and profession and income group. In the second section we were interested in finding the factors affecting the customer intention to use internet banking in Bahrain. The respondents were provided with a list of 10 questions; 4 questions on perceived usefulness, 2 questions on perceived ease of use, 3 questions on perceived credibility and finally 1 question on intention to use. The participants were asked to indicate their perception on a likert scales (1- 5) with response ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The collected data were analyzed based on correlation and regression analyses using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 17computer program. Data collection The questionnaires were distributed directly among the customers through the researchers friends and relatives, a sample of 400 people was randomly chosen from the Bahraini community, all participants were bank customers selected randomly from universities, malls, Internet cafÃÆ' ©s and businessmen from private and public sectors. Also A digital online form was created using Google Documents in the same questionnaire style, Then the link was shared and publicized to Bahrainis through email as well as posting it on discussion forums. Once a subject would answer the questionnaire, the raw data will automatically be logged in a spreadsheet which can be only accessed and downloaded by the researcher. Since the questionnaire form was to be submitted online it guaranteed two things: First, it targeted people who really access the internet. Second, because all questions are need to be answered before submitting. The collection of data will be done automatically, efficiently and there wont be any loss of data The questionnaire we prepared and used had been pre-tested initially with a few number of people (5 users) working in different sectors to ensure consistency, clarity and relevance to the Bahraini case, Minor changes (related to the questions content, wording, sequence) were requested by those people, which we implemented before carrying out the final copy. A total of 200 useable responses were obtained yielding a response rate of 50% (200/400). Demographic profile of respondents: variable category Frequency Valid Percentage Age 18 25 25 35 35 45 45 yrs and above Gender Male Female Education Secondary and below Diploma Bachelor High studies Occupation Government sector Private Sector Self-employment Others Monthly Income in BD Less than 500 500-1000 1000 and above Assumptions or Limitations For this research, the following limitation existed in the collection of data, the survey assumed that the respondents have some familiarity with banks and banking transactions and have been exposed to or have knowledge of the existence of e-banking alternatives. For these responses in particular, it was difficult to ensure the true validity of the responses or the identity of the respondent. REFERENCES Aderonke and Charles. (2010). An Empirical Investigation of the Level of Users Acceptance of E-Banking in Nigeria. Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, vol. 15 (1). Al-Somali, S.A., Gholami, R. and Clegg, B.(2009). An investigation into the acceptance of online banking in Saudi Arabia. Technovation, vol. 29, pp.130-141. Al Nahian Riyadh, Md. Shahriar Akter , Nayeema Islam. (2009). The adoption of e-banking in developing countries: A theoretical model for SMEs. International Review of Business Research Papers, vol. 5 (6), pp.212-230. Ba, S. and Pavlou, P.A (2002). Evidence of the effect of trust building technology in electronic market: price premiums and buyer behavior.MIS Quarterly, vol. 26 (3), pp. 243-68. Celik, H. (2008). What Determines Turkish customers acceptance of internet banking? International Journal of Bank Marketing. Vol. 26 (5): 353-370. Chen, Y. H. and Barnes, S. (2007), Initial Trust and Online Buyer Behaviour, Industrial Management Data Systems, 107(1): 21-36. Davis, F. D. (1989), Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, and User Acceptance of Information Technology, MIS Quarterly,13 (3): 319-339. Davis, F. D., Bagozzi, R. P. and Warshaw, P. R. (1989), User Acceptance of Computer Technology: A Comparison of Two Theoretical Models, Management Science, 35(8): 982-1003. Davis, F. D. (1993). User acceptance of information technology: system characteristics, user perceptions and behavioral impacts. International Journal of Man-Machine Studies,38, 475-487. Davis, F. D., Bagozzi, R. P., Warshaw, P. R. (1992). Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation to use computers in the workplace. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 22(14), 1109-1130. Egwali A. O., Customer Perception of Security Indicators in Online Banking Sites in Nigeria, Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, December 2008, vol. 13, no.3. Eriksson K, Kerem K, Nilsson D (2005). Customer acceptance of internet banking in Estonia, International Journal of Bank Market, vol. 23 (2), pp. 200-216. Ganesan, S.(1994), Determinants of long-term orientation in buyer-seller relationships. Journal of Marketing, Vol.58 (2), pp.1-19 Hanudin Amin (2007). Internet Banking Adoption Among Young Intellectuals. Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, December 2007, vol. 12 (3) Jacoby, J., Kaplan, L. B. (1972). The components of perceived risk. Paper presented at the Proceedings of the 3rd Annual Conference of the Association for Consumer Research, College Park, MD. Joaquin Alda ´s-Manzano, Carlos Lassala-Navarre, Carla Ruiz-Mafe and Silvia Sanz-Blas. (2009). Key drivers of internet banking services use , Online Information Review, Vol. 33 (4), pp. 672-695. Laforet S, Li X (2005). Consumers attitudes towards online and mobile banking in China. International Journal Bank Market vol. 23 (5), pp. 362-380. Moutaz Abou-Robieh. (2005). A Study of E-Banking Security Perceptions and Customer Satisfaction Issues. Nadim Jahangir and Noorjahan Begum. (2008). The role of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, security and privacy, and customer attitude to engender customer adaptation in the context of electronic banking. African Journal of Business Management, vol.2 (1), pp. 032-040. Padachi, Rojid, Seetanah.(2007). Analyzing the Factors that Influence the Adoption of Internet Banking in Mauritius. Patrick, T. (2002). Corporate Privacy Credibility Crumbles. Computer world, March, 4(10). Pikkarainen, T., Pikkarainen, K., Karijaluoto, H. and Pahnila, S. (2004), Customer acceptance of on-line banking: an extension of the technology acceptance model, Internet Research, vol. 14(3), pp. 224-235 Qureshi, T.M., Zafar, M.K and Khan, M.B. (2008). Customer Acceptance of Online Banking in Developing Economies. Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, Vol. 13 (1). Safeena, Abdullah and Hema. ( 2010). Customer Perspectives on E-business Value: Case Study on Internet Banking. Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, vol. 15 (1). Seth, N., S.G. Deshmukh and P. Vrat, 2004. Service quality models: A review, International Journal Quality and Reliability Management, vol. 22(9), pp. 36-51. T.C. Edwin Cheng, David Y.C. Lam and Andy C.L. Yeung. (2006) Adoption of internet banking: An empirical study in Hong Kong. Decision Support Systems, vol. 42 (3), pp 1558-1572 Tooraj Sadeghi and Kambiz Heidarzadeh Hanzaee. (2010). Customer satisfaction factors (CSFs) with online banking services in an Islamic country I.R. Iran. Journal of Islamic Marketing, vol. 1 (3), pp. 249-267 Wai-Ching Poon . (2008). Users adoption of e-banking services. Journal of Business Industrial Marketing, vol. 23 (1), pp. 59-69 Wang, Y., Lin, H., Tang, T. (2003). Determinants of user acceptance of internet banking: an empirical study. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 14(5), 501-519 Yap, K., D. Wong, C. Loh, and R. Bak (2010). Offline and online banking where to draw the line when building trust in e-banking. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 28(1), p.27-46 Z Liao and WK Wong. ( 2008). The determinants of customer interactions with internet-enabled e-banking services. Journal of the Operational Research Society, vol. 59 (9).

Friday, October 25, 2019

Ambiguity, Inconsistency and Uncertainty in Othello Essay -- Othello e

Ambiguity, Inconsistency and Uncertainty in Othello  Ã‚   The Bard of Avon has in his tragedy Othello a true masterpiece, but not one without flaws. It contains blemishes, imperfections, and minor negative features which detract in lesser ways from the overall evaluation of the play. H. S. Wilson in his book of literary criticism, On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy, addresses the arbitrariness and inconsistency in the play: Though the action moves in a single line, with none of the intricate interweaving of parallels displayed in Hamlet, the emotional pattern has, as it were, two poles of concentration: mounting horror at the insatiable malice of Iago, pity for the suffering helplessness of his victims. These effects are securely attained at the expense of a good deal of arbitrariness in the manipulation of the plat and even inconsistency of character [. . .] . (54) Let’s consider some of the â€Å"coincidences† or â€Å"accidents† in Othello which cause us to question its motivation and unity. For example, when in Scene 2 Cassio’s contingent arrives from the duke just moments before the rowdy mob led by Brabantio and Roderigo. Indeed there is more conflict and more interested generated by this coincidence – but is it realistic? Or seemingly arbitrary on the part of the playwright? Another coincidence that is more vital to the drama is the dropping of the decorated handkerchief at just the right moment in the plot for it to be crucial to the plot: DESDEMONA. Let me but bind it hard, within this hour It will be well. OTHELLO. Your napkin is too little; [He pushes the handkerchief from him, and it falls unnoticed] Let it alone. Come, I’ll go in with you. (3.3) For the most key piece of evidence to b... ...ast to illuminate some of the parts and at most to contribute to the understanding of the sum of the parts. If Othello is not the most complex of the tragedies, the problem of its over-all form is still a large one, and he who aspires to a full account of the creative relationship of all the parts must be content if he seems generally to be moving in the right direction. (329) WORKS CITED Heilman, Robert B. â€Å"Wit and Witchcraft: an Approach to Othello.† Shakespeare: Modern Essays in Criticism. Ed. Leonard F. Dean. Rev. Ed. Rpt. from The Sewanee Review, LXIV, 1 (Winter 1956), 1-4, 8-10; and Arizona Quarterly (Spring 1956), pp.5-16. Mack, Maynard. Everybody’s Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies. Lincoln, NB: University of Nebraska Press, 1993. Wilson, H. S. On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy. Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1957.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

GMO Labeling Essay

Nowadays, genetically modified food surrounds us all around the world and we don’t even know it. This food is composed of unnatural products. According to the website 20 questions on genetically modified foods, â€Å"genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can be defined as organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally†. This means that they are adjusting the food in a certain way, making it unnatural. The GM crops currently on the market are mainly aimed at an increased level of crop protection through the introduction of resistance against plant diseases caused by insects or viruses or through increased tolerance towards herbicides (20 questions on genetically modified foods). Genetically Modified foods are used to protect the consumers when it is time to eat the GMO’s. Most of the time, we do not know what we are exactly eating so, there is still one question remaining; should it be required that Geneticall y Modified foods are labeled as GMO’s? There are few opinions suggested about this subject. Major proponents of the Genetically Modified food are for and few others are against. For example, they are for the good is labeled as GMO’s because it gives the right of choice for the consumers if they want to consume the GMO’s food or not. They do not feel like they have to check the label table on the back of the food package, if the GMO’s is labeled. For instance, GMO’s labeling would not be the best idea because it would make the consumers wondering if they are eating save food or not. The consumers might think that the food is not good for their health, as soon as they see on the package â€Å"GMO’s†. In this paper, we will learn more about the pros and cons of the Genetically Modified foods. According to GMO’s can contain some bacteria, which is not good for the consumers who want to eat a certain product with GMO’s. The producers are using genes from plants and animals, which mean that the animals or plants can be contaminated, and be present in the food, eventually. It is a pro because when looking at the label and see GMO’s, it is means that the specific food can contain bacteria from food or either plants. (Should government require that genetically modified food be labeled, 2010). Another reason why labeling the GMO foods would be beneficial is because it would  prevent some possible allergies, which is not something that anyone wants to deal with when it comes to food choice. According to 20 questions on genetically modified foods, â€Å"The safety assessment of GM foods generally investigates: (a) direct health effects (toxicity), (b) tendencies to provoke allergic reaction (allergenicity)†. Allergies can be really bad and it is somet hing that consumers look at when they are grocery shopping, they want to make sure that no one in their family will be affected by the GMO’s food (allergy). Another pro of labeling GMO food would be that it provides the choice to the consumer — if they really want to consume the product or if they would prefer not to. It is a good way to check if you are willing to take the risk to eat a GMO product. It allows the consumers to take the right choice concerning the way they want to eat. (Should government require that genetically modified food be labeled, 2010). There are also negative arguments concerning if they should required a Genetically Modified goods labeled. According to Dagoberto (2013), â€Å"labeling can also increase the non-GMO’s foods labeling†, which will create more food on the market. Because there is no label saying that the GMO’s are present in the food, the consumers will have tendency to buy without asking any specific questions. But at the same time, it is easier for the consumers to make a choice if they should go for it or not. Increase of Non-GMO’s food on the market is not very good because as we all know, we are producing too much food (overproduction), all around the world. Also, this brings the concern that consumers may not want to pay extra money that is typically requested of foods labeled as GMO’s. It would cost more money to put the label on the package which means that the consumers would have to pay a little but more than expected. (Should governments require that geneti cally modified foods be labeled?, 2010). According to Labels for GMO Foods Are a Bad Idea (2013), â€Å"Instead of providing people with useful information, mandatory GMO labels would only intensify the misconception that so-called Frankenfoods endanger people’s health.† Meaning that people will be confused even more because they would not know what GMO’s really is. Maybe they would have fewer tendencies to buy the specific food because they do not trust the labeling on that says GMO’s on the package. Personally, I believe that they should required that Genetically Modified foods are labeled as GMO’s because I think that it is important to know if our food is genetically modified. I would prefer to know if the food contains GMO’s than not knowing. I think that the consumer should know what is present in their food. It is our right to know what our food contains and if we still want to buy it or not. Also, I would think that Genetically Modified foods labeled as GMO’s would be good because it would prevent a lot of allergies. A lot of people are allergic to some Genetically Modified food and if there are nothing written on the package, it is clearly not good to not have something labeled as GMO’s. For example, anyone in a family could be allergic to specific soy but if they are are no specific labeling on the package, it could have very bad impacts for the consumer who is allergic. Also because the GMO’s would be labeled on the package, it would b e easier to make a faster choice without looking for more information on the package than GMO’s. Maybe some person are looking only to buy Genetically Modified foods and it would be so much easier for them to just look at the package and see the label â€Å"GMO’s†. All of these different examples and evidence are showing why I think that it should be required that Genetically Modified foods are labeled as GMO’s. Sources Dagoberto, M. (2013, November). An urgent case for GMO labeling | MA Right to Know GMOs. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://marighttoknow.com/home/why-label-gmos/an-urgent-case-for-gmo-labeling/ Debate: Mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods. Should governments require that genetically modified foods be labeled? (n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://http://dbp.idebate.org/en/index.php/Debate:_Mandatory_labeling_of_genetically_modified_foods/> Labels for GMO Foods Are a Bad Idea – Scientific American. (2013, August 20). Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/labels-for-gmo-foods-are-a-bad-idea/ WHO | 20 questions on genetically modified foods. (n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/biotech/20questions/en/

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Abortion, is it murder or a right of passage Essay

Abortion is a highly controversial issue in today’s society, not only in New Zealand but internationally. On the basis of an Unfamiliar Text read in class expressing the legalities of abortions (Is Abortion Law due for a shake up? – A Sunday Star Times article) I decided to undertake further research on the topic. The article piqued my interest as it had many relevant points encompassing various societal issues that I hadn’t given much thought to before. Thus I decided to further research and base my report on the topic of abortion as I felt the need to expand my knowledge of the subject to become more socially aware of the issue of abortion. I had no previous knowledge and due to it becoming an increasingly present issue in today’s society I believe that it would be beneficial to understand the opposing viewpoints. I wanted to look into the controversial issues that surround abortion, how legal restrictions may potentially implicate the future of abortion s and lastly, what are the advantages and disadvantages of having an abortion. Throughout, I intended to use several different sources to ensure the breadth of my report and ensured the reliability of these sources by looking at well-known and respected databases. See more:  Social Satire in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay I thought it useful to first define abortion so that I could add vital context to what I was researching. Abortion is the procedure of terminating an un-wanted child and can be performed in two different ways, a medical abortion and a surgical abortion. The type of abortion performed is dependent on the trimester the mother is in at the time of her abortion, meaning how far along in the pregnancy she is. I attempted to encompass the large amount of differing viewpoints that people hold into two main viewpoints in an effort to be able to compare and contrast them effectively for my research purposes. The two main viewpoints that I defined for abortion were prolife and prochoice. Prolife means that abortions can only be performed on women who have experienced rape or an incestual conception along with the termination of a baby that may affect the mother’s health. Prochoice is the judgment that pregnant woman have the right to terminate their child for what ever reason they, pers onally, see fit. Both procedures  have advantages and disadvantages that can potentially affect the future of the individual and of course the unborn foetus. What are the key controversial issues surrounding abortion? Before I began researching this question I understood that many young women think of an abortion as a quick fix, a sort of late birth control. I began with the understanding that irresponsible sex is now seen as less of a concern in young people as an abortion is a readily available option. Due to this lowered level of concern surrounding abortions there has been a large increase in controversial issues surrounding whether an abortion is humane. Abortions in recent times are deemed as societally acceptable, which can have a negative impact on adolescent individuals as they do not have to fully take responsibility for the weight of their actions when abortions are so easily accessible to them. The ease at which these youths are having abortions is portrayed in the 2011 survey carried out by ‘The Independent’, which states â€Å"that 30 % of woman who have an abortion are 14-19 years old.† Many abortions are a cause of casual sex as teenagers and young adults are having flippant one-night stands, when resulting in unwanted pregnancies they turn to abortion. In 2010 statistics 3.9 per 1000 woman under 16 have abortions, 16.5 per 1000 woman under 18 have an abortion (The independent) these are astoundingly high results. Only furthermore expressing the irresponsible behavior of juveniles that may be compounded by the fact that they can have abortions easily in society today. In addition it has been stressed that because of such actions the child’s (foetus/embryo) rights have been exposed and consequently violated. Another issue intertwined is how long after gestation is it morally unjust to terminate a foetus/baby. Prolife activist Congressman Chris Smith says, â€Å"There is substantial evidence that by this point [20 weeks], unborn children draw away from surgical instruments in a manner which in an infant or an adult would be interpreted as a response to pain,à ¢â‚¬  (TIME). Many more believe that an abortion is murder, arguing that a foetus is able to feel pain during an abortion. Prochoice activists argue, â€Å"Abortion is not murder because it is performed before a foetus has developed into a human person† (http://www.balancedpolitics.org/abortion.htm). This statement begs the question when is a foetus a human person? Where do we draw the line? I was  horrified that such a debate would be going on at the same time such procedures are being practiced everyday (125 000 abortions performed daily according to WorldOMeters). Many medical professions and biologist have argued the stage at which an embryo is classified as living and is thus receptive to pain. Due to the stage at which an abortion is performed it is suspected that the foetus will be imperiled to torture. While I do hear both view points my fundamental opinion remains prochoice as I believe that ultimately it was the woman’s actions, thoughts and viewpoints that led her to be in the position of being pregnant so it should be the women’s and only the women’s actions, tho ughts and viewpoints that influence her own decision as to whether she, herself is capable of having a baby. Although my viewpoint hasn’t changed from thinking that some women use abortion as a quick fix, in fact it has become stronger after viewing the above statistics. I still believe that if the women herself wants to abort the child she should be able to, as it is her body and her choice, I do, however, believe that restrictions should be tightened around the stage at which a woman can have an abortion legally. This was a new viewpoint that I gathered from my research, as I hadn’t thought about the different stages of pregnancy and how they relate to whether an abortion should be performed. It was in this way that the research helped me to develop my own personal viewpoints about abortion. What are the advantages and disadvantages of an abortion? Before embarking on my research I was unknowing of the extent the effects of an abortion have on women physically and mentally. When having an abortion most individuals don’t understand the extremity of the short and long-term effects that an abortion can induce. While researching I found a reliable, factual website contracept.org providing various pros and cons of abortions. Short-term effects are mainly physical such as cramping, bleeding/spotting, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Through http://abortionclinics.ca/abortion-risks.shtml I found that perforation of the uterus and cervical lacerations are most commonly presented in woman that have undergone an abortion. Using the website abortion complications I found out that it occurs in 1/20 abortions performed, caused by the application of suction; initiating a 50/50 chance for a miscarriage in the  next pregnancy. The long-term effects of these punctures and lacerations can result in premature births and labor complication s in future pregnancies. Long-term, abortions can have a large impact on future pregnancies and subsequently cause psychological issues. Another common occurrence is an ectopic pregnancy. The embryo develops outside the womb; statistics show that after one abortion you are 30% more prone to its occurrence whereas after two or more abortions you have an increased percentage of 160% (http://www.abortionfacts.com/literature/abortion-complications). Additionally women who have had two or more abortions have double the average miscarriages in their first trimester in future pregnancies. More pressingly using the website afterabortion I was astounded by the saddening effects abortion has on an individual’s mindset. Individuals that have had an abortion have an increased suicide rate of 3.4 (after abortions.org) than females that haven’t experienced an abortion. To elaborate the negative effects that abortions have on the metal wellbeing of the individual it is reported that 25% of women who have had abortions have had appointments with a psychiatrist compared to ‘3% in a controlled group’. Abortion is evidently linked with increasing levels of drug and alcohol abuse, violent behavior and depression re-laided in post-abortion trauma subsequently showing in an amplified rate of child abuse (http://afterabortion.org/2012/abortion-risks-abortion-complications-abortion-dangers-abortion-side-effects/). There are minute positive effects to negative but when researching I have come to the conclusion that the positives take a larger toll on your life than the negatives. In studies shown by DataBlog it cost $431,600 (NZD) to raise a child to 21 years old, so an abortion will aid in the economic stability of your future, not only but according to The BLOG many woman who by-pass children are more successful in their field of work: â€Å"Children can restrict you from living the type of life you want to live — especially if that life includes a high-powered career requiring long hours and travel.† After researching the negative and positive effects that an abortion has on an individual I was appalled, as my perception of an abortion was very different to the reality. I initially perceived abortion as a one-day procedure with no after-effects. I was further shocked by how the choice to have an abortion can potentially affect the rest of your future. I believe that after looking at many  different sources I comprehensively understand the complexity of the issue and can therefore continue to develop my own viewpoint on abortion everyday. How will legal restrictions affect the future of abortions? With many prolife activists seeking abortions laws to be reformed, I believe that the future of abortions will change but not to the extreme of making abortions illegal. Sourcing my information from ‘Family Planning’ and ‘Abortion services in New Zealand’ I am now aware that in New Zealand abortions are legal if they abide by a-set criteria. Whether or not the pregnancy is a result of incest or rape or how old the mother is, according to Crimes Act 1961. Using the article ‘What if abortions were legal? By Libby Anne’ there are many viable outcomes stated that are occurring in America due to the movement of prolife in politics. Many abortion clinics around America have been shut down, with the recent closing of 5 clinics in Louisiana that don’t comply with the new bill. Prochoice activist say that this is an outrage and the bills intention is not invested in the woman’s safety but in making abortions illegal (Huff Post). As a result according to Love, Joy, Feminism there has been an increased rate of complications for women such as an increase in abortion inducing drugs and ‘back alley’ abortions being performed resulting in greater harm to women than an abortion. This is backed up further as Jennifer Dalven, director of American civil liberties union says â€Å"In fact, major medical groups like ACOG and AMA oppose these laws because they actually harm women by preventing them from getting high quality medical care†. Further restrictions will only accelerate this trend additionally, with reference to ‘Abortion rates continue to rise’- The independent Anna Furedi, chief executive of the British Pregnancy Advisory quotes â€Å"one third of women in their reproductive lifetime will require an abortion†. I believe that this is a direct influence of the new bill being passed making it harder for women to find a provider, therefore partaking in dangerous procedures to terminate their child. Not only but National President Morgan Healy’s assertion: â€Å"It’s not right that New Zealand still classes abortion under the crimes act† this resides with me deeply, as abortion is always under scrutiny; it is legal and a daily procedure around the world and I believe it shouldn’t be classified as a crime. I think that increasing such restrictions will have a  very negative impact on society with progressively worse outcomes. From my research my opinion has been swayed that with such a growing movement for abortions to be banned it may be plausible. Conclusion When I set out to find an answer to my prevailing question; whether abortion is humane or not, I did not expect that my opinion would alter: I used to support prochoice with the judgment that an abortion was acceptable and that woman should have all rights over their body, but through researching I now understand that the mother’s choice to have an abortion retracts the child’s rights. I don’t think that diminishing a woman’s rights to have an abortion will have a positive effect on society with an estimated increase in ‘back alley’ abortions. I believe that the way to improve the situation is have narrower restrictions cutting down on women eligible to undergo the procedure. I think that this will be beneficial as abortion is currently seen as contraception, which in my opinion is not acceptable. Through such measures, I think that there would be a decrease in the number of abortions carried out, thus forcing sexually active females and males to be more conscious of their actions. Overall I believe that my opinion slightly altered on the issue while still supporting prochoice, as I was exposed to many opposing opinions that shaped and largely influenced my perspective whether an abortion is humane or not.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Wireless Articles 1 Essays

Wireless Articles 1 Essays Wireless Articles 1 Essay Wireless Articles 1 Essay There is no doubt that times have changed from the first time Alexander Graham Bell thought of inventing a telephone. Nowadays, telephones are not merely for voice calls because it has evolved to become one of the greatest communication tools in history with Internet, messaging, and music capabilities. More and more technological advances are being done in the telecommunication field every year.One of this advances is called 3G, which is â€Å"the third generation of mobile phone standards and technology that enables network operators to offer users a wider range of more advanced services while achieving greater network capacity through improved spectral efficiency.†[1] It was first launched in Japan in 2001 developed after 1G and 2G technologies to offer faster and better communication to consumers. Currently, even with the development of 4G technology, mobile phone companies like Apple, Nokia, and Sony Ericsson produce their phones with 3G capabilitie s since many of their consumers look for this service when choosing a phone. However, not all is positive with 3G. Concerns including the cost of licenses, cost of 3G mobile phones, lack of coverage, expense of the service and Internet fees, and high power usage are being debated by both providers and consumers.[2]The article does not include a specific author making it hard for the information to be trusted. Also, the fact that Wikipedia is an online group community that can be accessed by anyone and everyone decreases its reliability in terms of the information indicated. The same cannot be said with the topic, however, because 3G is known to be one of the best development in the mobile phone industry at this time. This is most helpful to businessmen and women who need the Internet access at any time of the day. This technology also affects those who have families and friends out of the country because communicating not just by voice calls can be done. Although 3G still has its ow n issues to deal with, it is still one of the best advancements in technology during this time.Wireless Articles 2Communication is an essential part of the everyday lives of humans. It is not only through voice communication or through hand-written or typed documents because there are just those data that are too large or too long to be typed, written, or spoken. Fortunately, the Internet has been made available to everyone, which makes the exchange of large data much easier. However, some people still find computers and the Internet too time-consuming, which is why wireless devices such as Bluetooth were developed.â€Å"Bluetooth (BT) wireless technology provides an easy way for a wide range of devices to communicate with each other and connect to the Internet without the need for wires, cables, and connectors.†[3] Not only is it used in mobile phones, but several devices including laptops and cars are also being installed with Bluetooth services. It was first developed in 1 994 by a team of researchers and at this time, it is known to â€Å"allow two Bluetooth-enabled devices within 10 to 100 meters range to share data†[4] without the need of wires or Internet connection. Because this technology works by sharing data, it is very important to know proper security measures to avoid transmission of data to the wrong party or receiving malicious and harmful content. To address this concern, the developers had consumers the option to display or hide their devices from other devices. There is also the feature of requiring a passcode for the two devices to connect first before sending the data. Still, there are those applications that are made to hack these devices and gather private and important information. Manufacturers also do not take much time in specifying addresses for their Bluetooth-enabled products, which makes it easier for hackers to determine the addresses. The article also states that consumers who have little knowledge about Bluetooth are at risk of having their devices hacked or acquiring viruses.There is no doubt that Bluetooth is a helpful tool when it comes to sharing information, especially when time is of concern. However, the author is right when he stated that people, consumers most notably, should remember that they should always research and try to secure their devices because there are numerous individuals who have negative intentions and abuse their power and knowledge in technology.Wireless Articles 3The Internet is one of the most important technological developments in mankinds history. It has paved way for more advanced communication, data exchange, and information access. Because of its great importance and use in peoples personal lives and the business world, more and more organizations offer the service through wireless connection.In 2007, Intel announced that it will â€Å"support WiMax and 802.11b/g/n on the same piece of silicon with the Montevina mobile platform, but will also offer a WiMa x-only card.†[5] Contrary to the current WiFi service, â€Å"WiMax can provide broadband wireless access up to 30 miles for fixed stations, and 3 to 10 miles for mobile stations.†[6] This improvement in the hardware from WiFi to WiMax by Intel will surely attract consumers and providers especially those who greatly use the Internet to work, study, or get in touch with their loved ones. Intel is trusted by consumers and although WiMax is only getting started in the field, one can anticipate the impact it will bring once the hardware is made available in the market.WiMax-enabled computers and other devices will make studying, working, or communicating a much easier task for those concerned. It also contributes to the history of technology and marks as an evidence that through technology, distance is of no issue. It even contributes to faster and more efficient working since it allows â€Å"download speeds of 2 to 4 Mbps.†[7] To evaluate, the article seems to be pro viding a good news to those who depend on mobility in terms of using their devices, as well as in terms of being able to function whenever and wherever it is needed.Wireless Article 4With the vast amount of developments in technology today, it is important to know the best and economical applications, software, and hardware that exist in the market. Knowledge of such things makes it easier what to buy and what service to use because it suits ones lifestyle and needs better. Not only will it provide a way to choose what is better but it also enhances a persons knowledge regarding technology.Because mobile phones are very much popular and in demand these days, companies make sure that they keep up with what the consumers need and want. They enable their products with different kinds of capabilities and services so that users do not have to look somewhere else. Two of the features that mobile phone companies provide are the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and CDMA (Code D ivision Multiple Access) network technologies. Both are excellent in providing what customers need, which is telecommunication capabilities, but they differ in terms of how the provide it. The GSM technology allows consumers to choose from a variety of mobile phones, use a SIM card from mobile network providers, and use a better international roaming service while CDMA technology makes its consumers buy an entire package from a service provider that contains the handset and the service.[8]In summary, both technologies are excellent in providing what the consumers need or else they would not be used by major network providers. A person just has to weigh what is more suitable for his lifestyle when choosing what kind of mobile phone service to avail. Flexibility is one of the major features of a GSM network while clarity and efficiency can be depended on with CDMA networks.Wireless Article 5With the numerous mobile phone manufacturers today, it cannot be helped that mobile phone servi ce providers are also increasing. There is no country that offers only one service provider, which makes it hard for consumers to choose what kind of service they want. Fortunately for most people who are not contented with one service provider or for those who need more than just one, there are companies that can unlock mobile phones and make it possible for a user to use multiple SIM cards in one mobile phone. Of course, one has to have a GSM enabled phone to be able to do this since CDMA phones are locked to a specific network.There are many reasons why an individual want to have his or her phone unlocked: one is wanting to change the current wireless provider in the United States and still keep the phone; two is changing a provider with a new phone but still want to keep the other provider; and three traveling outside the country without having to pay for higher international roaming fees.[9] Whatever the reason is, it always comes down to not having to choose a certain service provider simply because every available provider can be used. Several companies and individuals offer users a way to unlock their mobile phones either by proving a code or by using an application.Unlocking phones are useful for those who need it and for those who require it. However, it should still be remembered that there are numerous malicious individuals who can try to abuse this kind of flexibility. SIM cards, in most countries, are readily available and does not require a person to register and provide security information thus making it hard for them to be tracked down when they use their SIM cards for illegal acts because they can simply throw the cards away without anyone tracing it back to them.BibliographyBangeman, Eric. â€Å"WiMax Coming to Intel Laptops in 2008.† ARS Technica, April 16, 2007.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070416-wimax-coming-to-intel-laptops-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   in -2008.html (4 August 2008).Bialoglowy, Marek. â€Å"Bluetooth Security Review, Part 1.† Security Focus, April 25, 2005. securityfocus.com/infocus/1830 (4 August 2008).Hick, Matthew. â€Å"Cell Phone Unlocking – What Purpose Does It Have?† Articlebase, January   Ã‚  Ã‚   1, 2008. articlesbase.com/cell-phones-articles/cell-phone-unlocking-   what-purpose-does-it-have-294032.html (4 August 2008).Sharma, Mohit. â€Å"GSM vs. CDMA Mobile Technology.† Articlesbase, January 5, 2008.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   articlesbase.com/cell-phones-articles/gsm-vs-cdma-mobile-  Ã‚   technology-400824.html (4 August 2008).Wikipedia. â€Å"3G.† Wikipedia, August 3, 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3G (4 August   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2008).[1]  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wikipedia, â€Å"3G,† August 3, 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3G (4 August 2008).[2]  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ibid.[3]  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marek Bialoglowy, â€Å"Bluetooth Security Review, Part 1, † April 25, 2005. securityfocus.com/infocus/1830 (4 August 2008).[4]  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ibid.[5]  Ã‚  Ã‚   Eric Bangeman, â€Å"WiMax Coming to Intel Laptops in 2008,† April 16, 2007. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070416-wimax-coming-to-intel-laptops-in-2008.html (4 August 2008).[6]  Ã‚  Ã‚   WiMax.com, â€Å"What is WiMAX?† wimax.com/education (4 August 2008).[7]  Ã‚  Ã‚   Eric Bangeman, â€Å"WiMax Coming to Intel Laptops in 2008,† April 16, 2007. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070416-wimax-coming-to-intel-laptops-in-2008.html (4 August 2008).[8]  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mohit Sharma, â€Å"GSM vs. CDMA Mobile Technology,† January 5, 2008. articlesbase.com/cell-phones-articles/gsm-vs-cdma-mobile-technology-400824.html (4 August 2008).[9]  Ã‚  Ã‚   Matthew Hick, â€Å"Cell Phone Unlocking – What Purpose Does It Have?† January 1, 2008. articlesbase.com/cell-phones-articles/cell-phone-unlocking-what-purpose-does-it-have-294032.html (4 August 2008).

Monday, October 21, 2019

Definitions and Examples of Copular Verbs

Definitions and Examples of Copular Verbs In English grammar, a copula is a  verb that joins the subject of a sentence  or clause to a subject complement. For example, the word  is  functions as a copula in the sentences Jane  is my friend and Jane is friendly. Adjective: copular. Pronunciation: KOP-u-la. Also known as a copular verb or a linking verb. Contrast with a  lexical verb and a  dynamic verb. The primary verb be is sometimes referred to as the copula. However, while forms of  being  (am, are, is, was, were) are the most commonly used copulas in English, certain other verbs (identified below) have copular functions as well.   Unlike auxiliary verbs (also called helping verbs), which are used in front of other verbs, copular verbs function by themselves in the manner of main verbs. See Examples and Observations below. Also, see: Ascriptive SentenceDouble CopulaLinking VerbStative VerbVerb of BeingZero Copula Etymology From the Latin, link Examples and Observations These two very old people are the father and mother of Mr. Bucket. Their names are Grandpa Joe and Grandma Josephine.(Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, 1964)The weather is horrible.That car looks fast.The stew smells good.I do feel a fool.She became a racehorse trainer.Its getting late.He spoke intelligently. (Intelligently is an adverb. It tells you about how the person spoke.)He looks intelligent. (Intelligent is an adjective in a predicative position. It tells you about the person himselfrather like saying He is intelligent. The look is a copular verb.)Common CopulasWe use a special kind of verb to join an adjective or noun complement to a subject. These verbs can be called copulas or copular verbs. Common copular verbs are: be, seem, appear, look, sound, smell, taste, feel, become, get.After copular verbs, we use adjectives, not adverbs. Compare: Note that some of these verbs are also used with other meanings as ordinary non-copular verbs.(Michael Swan, Practical Eng lish Usage. Oxford University Press, 1995)A copular (or linking) verb is complemented by a subject predicative in a sentence or clause structure. The most common copular verb is; others include become (my friend), feel (tired), get (ready), seem (happy). A copular prepositional verb is a prepositional verb (combination of a verb plus preposition) that is complemented by a subject predicative: sound like (you), turn into (a monster), serve as (mitigating circumstances).(Sidney Greenbaum, Oxford English Grammar. Oxford University Press, 1996) Describing some kind of state that the thing or person referred to by the subject is in; verbs of this sort include be, remain, seem and appear.Describing the result of some change affecting the thing or person referred to by the subject; verbs of this sort include become, turn, grow and get.Two Main Groups of CopulasCopular verbs fall into two broad groups: Copular verbs can occur in both main and subordinate clauses.James R. Hurford, Grammar: A Students Guide. Cambridge University Press, 1994

Sunday, October 20, 2019

SAT Punctuation Tips for Commas, Colons, and Dashes

SAT Punctuation Tips for Commas, Colons, and Dashes SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The SAT Writing and Language section will test you on your knowledge of punctuation. Understandably, many students are utterly confused by commas and semicolons and clueless when it comes to colons and dashes. In this article, I'll eliminate your confusion and explain all of the punctuation rules you need to know to ace SAT Writing. Furthermore, I'll provide practice questions to test you on what you've learned. Punctuation on SAT Writing SAT punctuation questions test you on your knowledge of commas, semicolons, colons, dashes, and apostrophes. In this article, I’ll explain the rules for all punctuation except apostrophes because I’ve devoted a separate article to apostrophes. Excluding apostrophe questions, there are about 4-6 punctuation questions on the SAT. Most of the punctuation rules are fairly straightforward; if you spend the time to learn and understand these rules, you should be able to correctly answer the punctuation questions on SAT Writing. The Rule for All SAT Punctuation Questions:When in Doubt, Leave It Out For the SAT, if you’re unsure if a sentence requires punctuation, it’s better to err on the side of leaving out punctuation. Only use commas, semicolons, colons, or dashes if you identify a situation that requires them. You’re more likely to miss a punctuation question by adding unnecessary punctuation than by leaving out punctuation that’s needed. Take a look at this example: The comma before â€Å"that† is unnecessary. A common error on SAT punctuation questions is to randomly place a comma or semicolon within a sentence, especially in sentences in which there are other commas. In this sentence, answer choice D is the correct answer. No punctuation is needed. Remember that if punctuation isn’t needed, you should leave it out. Now I’ll go over specific rules to help you determine when to use punctuation. The 6 SAT Comma Rules While there are a multitude of comma rules, the SAT only tests a few of them. I’ll explain the comma rules that are important to know for the SAT. #1: Surround Non-Restrictive Clauses and Appositives With Commas The key rule to remember here is that a portion of a sentence that can be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence must be surrounded by commas. Relative Clauses: Restrictive vs. Non-Restrictive Relative clauses are dependent clauses that describe a noun and start with a relative pronoun or adverb like â€Å"who,† â€Å"that,† â€Å"which,† or â€Å"where.† The basic rule is that restrictive clauses shouldn’t be surrounded by commas and non-restrictive clauses should be. What’s a Restrictive Clause? Restrictive clauses are essential to the meaning of the sentence. You can’t take a restrictive clause out of a sentence without significantly changing the meaning of the sentence. Here’s an example: People who sleep well are more alert. If you remove the clause â€Å"who sleep well,† the meaning of the sentence would be substantially changed. You’d be left with â€Å"People are more alert.† Because you can’t remove the clause without changing the meaning of the sentence, the clause shouldn’t be surrounded by commas. What’s a Non-Restrictive Clause? A non-restrictive clause isn’t essential to the meaning of the sentence. If you got rid of the clause, the sentence would still make sense, and its meaning wouldn’t change. Here’s an example sentence with the non-restrictive clause underlined. Nate, who works as a software engineer, majored in computer science. The clause â€Å"who works as a software engineer† adds more information about Nate, but if it were removed, the meaning of the sentence would be the same. There would be less information about Nate, but the sentence still states that he majored in computer science. This is what the sentence looks like after removing the non-restrictive clause: Nate majored in computer science. What Is an Appositive? An appositive is a descriptive phrase that doesn’t include a verb. Like a non-restrictive clause, an appositive can be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence. Here’s an example sentence with the appositive underlined: Torsha, a fan of celebrity gossip, loves watching The Wendy Williams Show. If we get rid of the appositive, the sentence still has the same meaning: Torsha loves watching The Wendy Williams Show. If you’re unsure if a phrase is an appositive, eliminate the phrase. If the meaning of the sentence is unchanged, the descriptive phrase is an appositive that should be surrounded by commas. The rule that appositives must be surrounded by commas is one of the most often tested comma rules on the SAT. SAT Example Because the only difference in the answer choices is the placement of commas, we know this question is testing our knowledge of comma rules. In this sentence, the phrase â€Å"an associate professor of geology at Ohio State† is an appositive. The phrase describes Jason Box, and it can be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence. All we have to do is apply the rule that appositives must be surrounded by commas. The error in the original sentence is that there is no comma after â€Å"Ohio State.† The correct answer is C. There is no comma before the appositive in answer choice B, and answer choice D places a comma within the appositive unnecessarily, and there isn’t a comma at the end of it. Pretty comma (stealingsand/Flickr) #2: Use Commas After Introductory Phrases or Clauses Any time a sentence starts with a dependent clause or modifying phrase, it must be followed by a comma. Here are some examples: Although I want to go to Hawaii for Joe’s wedding, I have to work. In high school, Suzy was the class clown. Unable to focus because of the loud construction work outside, Harry went to the library to study. SAT Example On the SAT, a sentence may include an introductory dependent clause or phrase, and you have to select the proper punctuation that follows the introduction. Only a comma can come after an introductory phrase or clause that isn’t a complete thought. The introductory phrase, from â€Å"Living† to â€Å"ethic,† modifies the Harvey Girls. Because the phrase isn’t a complete thought, meaning it can’t stand alone as a sentence, we must put a comma at the end of the phrase. The correct answer is D. Answer choice C is wrong because the addition of â€Å"and† makes the sentence incorrect. When an introductory phrase describes a noun, the noun being modified must come directly after the comma. In this sentence, the phrase is modifying the Harvey Girls. #3: Use Commas to Separate Items in a List You’re probably familiar with this comma rule: in lists of three or more items, you must place a comma after every item except the last. Check out this example: During spring break, my days will consist of eating, watching Netflix, and sleeping. The three items on the list are â€Å"eating,† â€Å"watching Netflix,† and sleeping. Because there are three items, there are commas after the first two. The last comma in the list before â€Å"and,† known as the oxford comma, is technically optional, and you won’t be tested on whether or not to use it. However, every list question I've seen uses the oxford comma. Here’s another example: Participation in sports teaches many important values, including perseverance, teamwork, and dedication. The three items on this list are â€Å"perseverance,† â€Å"teamwork,† and â€Å"dedication.† On the SAT, there may be incorrectly placed commas placed before the first item or after the â€Å"and† prior to the last item. In the sentence above, you can’t place a comma after â€Å"including† or before â€Å"dedication.† Incorrect: Participation in sports teaches many values, including, perseverance, teamwork, and dedication. Incorrect: Participation in sports teaches many values, including perseverance, teamwork, and, dedication. Correct: Participation in sports teaches many values, including perseverance, teamwork, and dedication. Sleep is important. (RelaxingMusic/Flickr) SAT Example As we know, items in a list must be separated by commas. The three items in this list are "yogurt manufacturers," "food scientists," and "government officials." The semicolon in the original sentence is being used incorrectly. In answer choice D, there is an unnecessary comma placed after â€Å"and.† The correct answer is C. #4: Don’t Use Commas to Separate Complete Thoughts Using a comma to separate two complete thoughts creates a grammar error known as a comma splice. Here’s an example of a comma splice: Dorothy failed her test, it was extremely difficult. The clauses before and after the comma are complete thoughts that could stand alone as sentences. There are a few ways to correct a comma splice. You can put a conjunction after the comma: Dorothy failed her test, but it was extremely difficult. Also, you can put a relative pronoun after the comma: Dorothy failed her test, which was extremely difficult. Finally, you can use a semicolon or colon to correctly separate two complete thoughts: Dorothy failed her test; it was extremely difficult. Dorothy failed her test: it was extremely difficult. Next, take a look at acomma splice example from the real SAT. amboo who?/Flickr SAT Example The comma after â€Å"instance† is incorrect because the clauses before and after the comma are complete thoughts. Answer choice C is still a comma splice. Answer choice D is wrong because the resulting sentences don’t make sense in context. The correct answer is B. A colon comes after a complete thought, and it sets up a list or explanation. In this sentence, an explanation follows the colon. Even if you were unsure of colon rules (which I’ll explain later), you could have selected the right answer by eliminating wrong answer choices. #5: Don’t Use a Comma Between an Adjective and a Noun You can’t place a comma between an adjective and noun. Check out this example sentence: Incorrect: Trista bought a blue, truck. Correct: Trista bought a blue truck. On the SAT, this comma rule tends to come up when a title is being used as an adjective before a noun. Here are a couple of examples: Incorrect: I enjoy reading the books of acclaimed writer, Malcolm Gladwell. Correct: I enjoy reading the books of acclaimed writer Malcolm Gladwell. Many people incorrectly assume there should be a comma; however, in this sentence, â€Å"writer† is describing Malcolm Gladwell, and you can’t place a comma between an adjective and a noun. I like his books. (Michelle Tribe/Flickr) Similarly, if the title comes before a possessive noun, there shouldn’t be a comma after the title or the possessive. Check out this example: Incorrect: You are extremely excited to read PrepScholar writer, Justin Berkman’s next article. Incorrect: You are extremely excited to read PrepScholar writer Justin Berkman’s, next article. Correct: You are extremely excited to read PrepScholar writer Justin Berkman’s next article. SAT Example Remember that there shouldn't be a comma after a title used as an adjective or a possessive noun. In this sentence, there are commas placed after both "painter" and "Georges Seurat's." We need to remove the commas to correct the sentence. Only answer choice D removes both unnecessary commas. Semicolons on the SAT The only thing you have to know about semicolons is that they are used to separate two complete thoughts. You should be able to replace the semicolon with a period and have two complete sentences. Here’s an example: Incorrect: Because Jesse is my friend; I invited him to my party. Correct: Jesse is my friend; I invited him to my party. The second sentence is correct because the semicolon is separating two independent clauses. On the SAT, semicolons are often used incorrectly. SAT Example Immediately, we know that the semicolon is incorrect because the phrase after the semicolon can’t stand alone as a sentence. Now we have to determine the correct comma placement. Answer choices B and C are wrong because you can’t place a comma after a preposition. Answer choice D is correct; the comma separates the independent clause from the explanatory phrase. Keep in mind that commas often separate independent clauses from dependent clauses or descriptive phrases. Colons on the SAT Colons can connect two independent clauses, but they're usually used to introduce lists and explanations. Colons must come after a complete sentence. You should be able to put a period in place of the colon and have a sentence that makes sense. Incorrect: Jasmine brought everything she needed for the exam, including: pencils, a backpack, and a calculator. Correct: Jasmine brought everything she needed for the exam: pencils, a backpack, and a calculator. The first sentence is incorrect because the part that comes before the colon isn’t a complete thought. Also, a colon should be used instead of a comma to separate a noun from items on a list: Incorrect: Lewis was excited to meet his relatives, his aunt, uncle, and cousins from the Bahamas. Correct: Lewis was excited to meet his relatives: his aunt, uncle, and cousins from the Bahamas. The first sentence makes it seem like â€Å"his relatives† is part of the list. However, all of the people he is meeting are his relatives, and the portion after the colon lists the relatives whom he will be meeting. Additionally, colons can be used to provide explanation. Here’s an example: Sandy repeatedly complained about her least favorite restaurants: places where you can often hear loud conversations and crying babies. In the above sentence, the colon is placed after a complete thought, and the portion of the sentence after the colon describes the type of restaurants that Sandy dislikes. You could substitute the colon with a comma, but you need punctuation to separate the complete thought from the explanatory phrase. SAT Example The portion of the sentence after â€Å"army† describes the other type of army. We need punctuation to separate the complete thought up until â€Å"army† from the phrase elaborating on this group of people. Answer choice C is incorrect because the phrase following â€Å"army† isn’t a complete thought, and answer choice B is wrong because the dash before â€Å"by† is unnecessary (I’ll explain dashes next). The correct answer is D. Dashes on the SAT Dashes aren’t very common on the SAT, but they do come up. They can be used to mark off a non-essential clause or phrase (like a comma) or introduce a list or explanation (like a colon). If dashes are used with non-essential clauses or phrases, you can’t mix them with commas. You have to go with either two dashes or two commas. Here’s an example: Incorrect: Ryan, an energetic teenager- can’t sit still during class. Correct: Ryan- an energetic teenager- can’t sit still during class. Correct: Ryan, an energetic teenager, can’t sit still during class. This is an example using a dash like a colon to set up an explanation: Correct: Ryan can’t sit still during class- he’s an energetic teenager. Lastly, a dash can be used for stylistic reasons to interrupt a statement or create a dramatic pause. Check out this example: Byron spent hours painting a beautiful picture- and then his little brother destroyed it. You don’t have to worry too much about using dashes for this type of sentence. If a dash is the correct answer in a similar sentence, then you’ll be able to eliminate the other answer choices because they’ll be obviously incorrect. SAT Example The phrase from â€Å"popularized† to â€Å"Coolidge† is a non-essential phrase. You can get rid of the phrase without altering the meaning of the sentence. The error is that the phrase is first marked off with a dash and then a comma. Remember that you can’t mix dashes and commas when marking off non-essential phrases and clauses. Therefore, to maintain consistency, the correct answer is B. Punctuation cookies! (David Erickson/Flickr) The Most Important Rules and Strategies for SAT Punctuation Because we’ve gone over a number of punctuation rules and ways to correct punctuation errors, I’m going to sum up the most important points to help you correctly answer SAT Writing punctuation questions. Important Rules Surround appositives and non-essential phrases with commas. Use commas to separate items in a list. Don’t use commas in between two independent clauses. Semicolons connect two independent clauses. Colons come after a complete sentence and set up a list or explanation. Dashes can be used to mark off non-essential clauses or introduce lists and explanations. Strategies Leave out punctuation unless you identify a situation that requires it. You’ll never be asked to choose between interchangeable punctuation marks: if two answer choices serve the same function, then both will be wrong. Use process of elimination to determine the right answer on punctuation questions. Many of the wrong answers will have errors that you’ll be quickly able to detect. Eliminating the wrong answers can sometimes be easier than choosing the right one. Practice Questions Try these practice questions using the knowledge you've acquired. Studies show that children; who are physically active may perform better in the classroom. A. NO CHANGE B. children, C. children D. children: Last week, Theodore- who is an extremely conscientious student, won a $10,000 scholarship; his parents are incredibly proud. A. NO CHANGE B. student- won C. student won D. student: won Julie was thoroughly confused: she couldn’t figure out where she put her car keys. A. NO CHANGE B. confused, she C. confused she, D. confused she Paul was overcome with joy when he saw actor, Keanu Reeves, in the parking lot of a McDonald’s restaurant. A. NO CHANGE B. actor, Keanu Reeves C. actor: Keanu Reeves D. actor Keanu Reeves I hurried home from school to find Max, my dog that I’ve had for five years chewing on my favorite pair of shoes. A. NO CHANGE B. had, for five years chewing C. had for five years, chewing D. had, for five, years chewing Answers: 1. C, 2. B, 3. A, 4. D, 5. C What's Next? If you thought punctuation wasn't tested on the SAT because you're only familiar with the old SAT, read this article to find out how the SAT Writing section has changed. Also, make sure you know and understand the most important grammar rules for SAT Writing (coming soon). Finally, as you're preparing for the SAT, learn the pros and cons of different prep methods. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by SAT experts. 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