Friday, March 20, 2020

Word Choice Premier vs. Premiere - Proofeds Writing Tips

Word Choice Premier vs. Premiere - Proofeds Writing Tips Word Choice: Premier vs. Premiere â€Å"Premier† and â€Å"premiere† look very similar written down. They also sound similar when spoken. And to top it all off, they both have to do with being â€Å"first† in some sense. Is it any surprise, then, that people get these words mixed up? Probably not. Yet there is a difference between them, so make sure your written work is error free with our helpful guide. Premier (First in Status) â€Å"Premier† is usually an adjective meaning â€Å"first in status† or â€Å"best†: Usain Bolt was the premier sprinter of his generation. Here, we’re referring to Mr. Bolt’s status as a leading athlete on the track. With that name, he was either going to be a runner or a mechanic.(Photo: Grzegorz Jereczek/flickr) A secondary use is as a noun that refers to the leader of a government: We will remember him as the UK’s worst ever premier. Typically, â€Å"premier† is used for the prime minister of a country. However, in Australia and Canada, it is also used for heads of regional government bodies. Premiere (A Debut or First Performance) â€Å"Premiere† is primarily a noun that refers to the first public performance or appearance of something: We’re having a glitzy premiere with a red carpet for our new play. But the same word can also be used as a verb meaning â€Å"show for the first time.† For example, we could say: We’ll be premiering the movie at the Sundance Festival. There are worse places to premiere something.(Photo: Travis Wise/flickr) In both noun and verb cases, â€Å"premiere† usually applies to a performance or entertainment of some kind. But you can also â€Å"premiere† other things (e.g., when a company reveals a new product for the first time). Premier or Premiere? These words are similar in many ways. However, â€Å"premiere† is only ever used in relation to the first public appearance of something. In any other situation, the correct term will therefore be â€Å"premier.† Remember: Premier (adjective) = First in status or importance Premier (noun) = The leader of a government Premiere (noun) = The first performance or appearance of something Premiere (verb) = The act of showing something in public for the first time

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

How Not to Write a Letter of Complaint

How Not to Write a Letter of Complaint Read the following claim letter as if you were in a position to take care of the writers complaint. Then respond thoughtfully to the questions that follow the letter. Letter of Complaint: Mr. E. Manns Problem With the DooDad Plus Mr. E. Mann345 Brooklawn DriveSavannah, Georgia 31419July 7, 2016PresidentHouse of Thingamajigs160 Prospect StreetSavannah, Georgia 31410SUBJECT: Faulty Products and Inferior ServiceDear Mr. or Ms. President:1 I am writing this letter because I couldn’t get anywhere by talking to the manager of your store. Apparently, she never heard of the old saying, â€Å"The customer is always right.†2 It all started in May when I returned the DooDad Plus to your â€Å"customer service† department because it was missing a part. (I don’t suppose that you have ever tried to assemble a DooDad Plus, but it just can’t be done without all the parts.) This guy in customer service was not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he spent about half an hour tapping on his computer and eventually told me that the missing part should arrive from the warehouse in three to five days. Three to five days- sure.3 Here it is July, and the thing still hasn’t shown up. The summer is half over, and I still haven’t had a chance to use my DooDad Plus. I’ve been down to your â€Å"customer service† department about a million times over the past two months, and every time somebody taps on the computer and smiles and says the missing part is â€Å"en route from the warehouse.† Where in tarnation is this warehouse- Kandahar?4 So today I went down to your so-called store and dragged the so-called manager out of her coffee break to explain that I was giving up. All I wanted was my money back. (Besides, it turns out that I can get a DooDad Plus from Lowe’s for ten bucks less than what I paid you. Ha!) So what does this lady tell me? That it’s â€Å"against store policy† to refund my money because I had already opened the package and started assembling the DooDad!5 This is insane! I have already reported you to the Better Business Bureau. Now, what are you going to do about it?Sincerely,Mr. E. Mann Questions Keeping in mind the advice offered in the article How to Write  a Letter of Complaint, explain whats wrong with the overall tone of Mr. E. Manns letter. How might the writers tone undermine his apparent purpose in writing the letter?What information in this letter should probably be omitted because its not directly relevant to the writers complaint?Some of the information thats typically provided in the opening paragraph of an effective complaint is missing from Mr. E. Manns introduction. What useful information is missing?Offer a critique of the body paragraphs in Mr. E. Manns letter. What useful information is missing? What unnecessary information obscures his claim?Some of the information thats typically provided in the closing paragraph of an effective complaint is missing from Mr. E. Manns conclusion. What useful information is missing?Based on your responses to the questions above, revise Mr. E. Manns letter, altering the tone, clarifying the claim, and omitting unnecessary d etails.