Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The text below is taken from The Star newspaper entitled Personal branding: Make your first
impression your best impression. The excerpt contains 10 errors in fragments. Identify the
errors and correct them as shown in the example below:
Line no.
Example
10
Error
Correction
Branding is not just for companies and products. Professionals also need it. To project the
right impression to colleagues, bosses and customers. Personal branding is the business of
marketing the brand called YOU. Personal branding is a way of communicating. What
makes you different and special. It is about understanding your unique attributes
strengths, skills, values, and passions and using them to separate yourself from your
competitors or peers.
However, do bear in mind that your brand is not your logo. Your brand is not your company
name. Your brand is not your product. In reality, you do not own your brand. Your brand is
owned by your customers, the people you work with, and anyone else. Who has an
impression of you. Your brand is other peoples perception of what it is like to do business
with you, work with you. Or be with you. Your brand is really a collection of perceptions in
the mind of others.
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If a client wanted a full branding makeover. The first step is to have the right mindset. The
client needs to have positive mindset to embrace change, to grow as an individual and to
move forward. Your thoughts are everything. They form your moods, attitudes and habits.
The second step is your packaging. Your packaging or Personal Branding Toolkit must
convey the same message as your brand. This includes: Your wardrobe, business card,
websites, Facebook, blogs, Twitter, email address, etc. The third is consistency. Once you
have established your own style and your brand. Stick to it. Walk your talk. Make the effort
to ensure you gain a reputation for saying what you mean. And meaning what you say.
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Wendy Lee, president of the Malaysian Association of Brand & Image Consultants (MABIC),
said that in her years of experience as an image consultant, she has had clients coming to
her for various reasons. These are people who recently got promoted, who are now coming
out to the workforce, who have not bought any clothes in ages. Or who just simply want to
learn something new.
15
When potential employers call or e-mail. You must have your elevator speech ready. The
term elevator speech was probably coined from the idea. That we sometimes meet the
important people in our lives in elevators. The odd situation we encounter in most elevators
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is that nobody speaks or looks at anyone else, and yet we have a captive audience for that
short period of time. Very few people are ready to interact in case someone does speak.
The idea of an elevator speech is to have a prepared presentation that grabs attention and
says a lot in a few words. Who you are, what you do, who your clients are, and what
happens as a result could be part of your elevator speech.
The proverb goes Do not judge a book by its cover, but really, in this day and age, do we
even have the time to delve deeply into a persons psyche before making a decision? Your
outward physical as well as cyber appearance can and will make an impact on how
the world perceives you. With so much hinging on your ability to present yourself in the best
and most appealing way. Are you sure you can afford to take personal branding lightly?
Source: http://mystarjob.com/articles/story.aspx?
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file=/2012/2/3/mystarjob_atwork/20120203104216&sec=mystarjob_atwork
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Correction
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Line no.
Error
Correction
Exampl
2
itself, it is
Itself. It is
e
1
Mingling with people over snacks and drinks should not be underestimated as it is a skill in
itself, it is through such connections that one builds a chain of business associates and
friends.
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15
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Networking is one of the most important and useful assets to have for any young executive
or for those who are about to enter the job market with Generation Y (Gen Y) being so adept
with working the social media, using it to build networks for their profession should just be a
breeze. There are really no hard and fast rules on how you network, it certainly means going
beyond telling the other person your name or standing around nursing a drink at functions.
Effective networking is about a conscious effort to make sure the people you meet
remember your name and know what you do, regardless of whether the person you meet is
a corporate magnate or otherwise, you have to offer some information about yourself and
the business or profession you are in and take an interest in his or hers. In order to do the
latter, you need to have sufficient knowledge in general to carry out a conversation that
might be of mutual interest or learn how to take an interest in the other person by asking
questions without being intrusive or a pest, while networking can be a more effective way to
build relationships as it takes place on a less formal platform, your informal behaviour can
sometimes send the wrong signals.
There are many avenues where you can begin building your network it does not necessarily
have to be at cocktail functions. Some of the popular places where businessmen network
are at breakfast meetings, non-profit organisations like Rotary Club and Lions Club, pubs
and of course, at the golf course, however, it need not be confined to these alone. In short,
networking is about getting to know as many people who will have their name and basic
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biodata in your PDA (personal digital assistant) or in your head and you, on theirs, your
relationship with them should be on a level where they will pick up your telephone calls
instead of ignoring them.
An employee with a useful network of acquaintances and friends relevant to the profession
has an edge over those who do not, however, one has to be reminded that networking is not
about collecting names you can drop to gain personal benefits and privileges in the
company.
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Those with an extensive network are deemed to have the potential to help the company
raise its profile and get new businesses they are also expected to gather business
intelligence and help the Human Resources department head hunt for potential
employees.
It is important to remember that a network is not built overnight, building a professional
network requires a lot of homework.
Source: Kam, P.( February 12, 2012). Weaving the network. The Star
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Correction
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10
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SIMPLE TENSES
The simple present- this is the verb tense which looks the same as the basic form.
e.g
I know her. She knows him.
The simple past is the normal tense for past actions. Use simple past verbs if you want to
talk about a finished action or situation.
Remember that we do not use the simple past for things which are generally true (in both past
and present). For this, use the simple present.
Exercise 1
Decide whether the following sentences should have a simple present or simple past tense verb.
1. Last week, Encik Rahim __________(chair) a meeting.
2. Mary usually __________ (arrive) early for the Monday morning briefing.
3. Prisma Sdn. Bhd. __________ (produce) a lot of electrical goods.
4. She _________ (finish) her report very quickly.
5. Does everyone __________ (know) Mrs Smith?
6. I hope you __________ (have) a pleasant journey.
7. They ___________ (decide) to change the venue of the meeting at the very last minute.
8. Dont buy this car. It __________ (use) too much petrol.
9. What time __________ (do) the competition start this morning?
10.
PERFECT TENSES
The word perfect in perfect tenses literally means "made complete" or "completely done." The
present perfect, past perfect and future perfect are used to show action already completed.
They are formed by the appropriate tense of the verb to have plus the past participle of the verb.
Present Perfect
We use present perfect when an action is completed with respect to the present.
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The Present Perfect Tense to describe about experiences. It focuses on whether we have done it
in our lives or not and not on when we did it.
Examples
They have been to the United Kingdom once.
He has never read a novel.
Have you ever studied French?
Tip! We often use never and ever with the Present Perfect Tense to talk about
experience.
The Present Perfect Tense is used to describe an action which started in the past and continuous
up to now.
Examples
He has been an engineer for more than twenty years.
They haven't completed the project since Monday.
How long have you been here?
Tip! We often use since and for to say how long the action has lasted.
The Present Perfect Tense is also used to talk about a past action that has the result in the
present.
Examples
I have found my laptop. = I have it now.
Deanna has gone to the laboratory. = She isn't here now.
Have they completed their assignment? = Is their homework completed?
Tip! We often use just, already and yet with the Present Perfect Tense for an action in
the past with the result in the present.
Past Perfect
The past perfect is used to show an action is completed with respect to the past. It shows us
which of two events happened first. Imagine that two things happened in the past:
Past tense of to have plus participle:
Here, we don't know which order the events happened in. That may be important -- perhaps I
repaired the camera after the examination, or maybe I repaired the camera before the
examination. There are many ways to make this sequence clear, and the past perfect is one of
them. This is how we do it:
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Here, we KNOW that the examination took place FIRST -- even though the sentence describing it
comes afterwards. We examined the camera, and THEN I repaired it.
Here is another example:
He considered conducting an experiment on mutations, so he applied for a research grant. Ann had
studied about mutations, so he called her to find out more about mutations.
(Ann no longer studied about mutations. She finished studying before he called her.)
Future perfect
The future perfect is used to describe an event that is expected or planned to happen before
another event in the future. It can also show that something will happen before a specific time in
the future. Action is completed with respect to the future.
Future Perfect has two different forms: "will have done" and "be going to have done.
For example:
By the time they get to the office, she is going to have completed the entire
assignment.
Carl is probably going to have sold the house by the time he leaves this country.
By the time he finishes this meal, I will have read twenty pages of the novel.
Exercise 1
Fill in the spaces with the correct form of the verb in simple present perfect tense.
Note: All of the past participles used will be regular.
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Exercise 2
Complete the sentences with the past perfect tense.
1. Lack of sleep makes junior doctors as fuzzy as if they ________ ________ three or four
beers, according to a study in the US. (to drink)
2. He ________ __________ for eight weeks playing a powerful Liverpudlian gangster modelled
on Shakespeare's King Lear. (to work)
3. She had proof that she _______ ________ my parking ticket but Excel turned down my
appeal. (to pay)
4. Sally told me you _________ __________ the old carriage a year before your daughter's
birth. (buy)
5. I (stay / never) _________ __________ __________ in Alaska before. How pricey hotels are!
Exercise 3
Complete the sentences with the future perfect tense.
1. I am _________________ the risk assessment by the 6th January so I can take my pictures
ready for my magazine. (going to/ complete)
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2. She determined that within one year, she was _________________ off everything in her life,
down to the brand new car she had purchased recently. (going to/ pay)
3. The bees ______________________ out the comb into worker cells. (will/ draw)
4. The queen _________________ laying eggs into the cells. (will/ start)
5. One of your eggs ____________________ into a follicle producing 2/3 of your body's supply of
estrogen. (will/ grow)
MISPLACED MODIFIERS
Modifiers are words or phrases that further explain or intensify an action or a noun.
Misplaced modifiers are modifiers that modify something you did not intend them to
modify. For example, the word only in the sentences below is a modifier that's easy to
misplace. You should place it as close as possible to what it describes. If you don't, your
intended meaning may not be clear and appear to modify the wrong thing.
Misplaced modifiers are words or phrases that are not located properly in relation
to the words they modify. Thus, the sentences tend to be illogical or confusing in
meaning, and are difficult to follow.
How do we know if a sentence has a misplaced modifier?
It rarely makes sense if you analyse it carefully. For example:
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The first sentence I drafted only letters means that I drafted nothing but letters - no report, no
minutes, just letters. The second sentence I only drafted letters means that all I did was to draft
letters. I didn't read, edit, correct, or modify them. I only drafted them.
Example 1
Sentence
The modifier
The Problem
Correction
The example above is a misplaced modifier. To rectify this grammar error, rewrite the
sentence so that you place the modifiers as close as possible to the words, phrases, or
clauses they modify.
Example 2
Sentence:
The grocer wrapped the vegetables for the customers picked from the
shelves.
The
Problem:
The modifier, picked from the shelves, appears to modify the customers.
Because the customers are not picked from the shelves, this is a misplaced
modifier.
Correction:
The grocer wrapped the vegetables picked from the shelves for the
customers
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Example 3
Consider the unintentional meanings in the following:
INCORRECT
CORRECT
You also need to watch the placing of limiting modifiers: even, exactly, almost, scarcely,
only, hardly, just, simply. It is safest to position these words directly before the word they
intensify/modify/exaggerate. For example:
Melaka.
He barely read any journal in his entire life.
In these sentences, --when he "almost killed", "nearly proposed" and barely read
nothing happened. He didn't quite get around to doing those things. What is intended is:
Melaka.
He read barely any journal in his entire life.
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Locate a modifier.
Make sure the modifier is as close as possible to the word or phrase it is modifying.
Place limiting modifiers (only, even, almost, nearly, just) in front of the words they modify.
UNCLEAR ()
CLEAR ()
Modifying phrases and clauses should be placed close to what they modify.
UNCLEAR ()
CLEAR ()
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Sentences should flow from subject to verb to object without lengthy detours along the way.
When adverbs separate subject from verb, verb from object, or helping-verb from mainverb, the result can be awkward or confusing.
UNCLEAR ()
CLEAR ()
Infinitives ("to" + verb, such as: "to go," "to catch," "to shout") usually should not be split unless
necessary, especially in formal writing.
UNCLEAR ()
CLEAR ()
Exercise 1
Use the following steps to check for Misplaced Modifiers.
i.
ii.
iii.
1. The man informed me all about his upcoming projects in the green suit.
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_____________________________________________________________________________
3. The lady shouted across the street wearing a Wonder Woman costume.
_____________________________________________________________________________
4. I cant believe the municipal council has almost torn down the whole historical building.
_____________________________________________________________________________
5. The security guard was so exhausted that he nearly had forty winks just now.
_____________________________________________________________________________
8. After following the nutritional programme for a year, his dietician told him that his health had
improved.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
9. Being only three, the teacher could not understand his speech.
_____________________________________________________________________________
10. I remember seeing the picture of the terrorist who had been killed on one of the websites.
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TYPES OF SENTENCES
Types of Sentences
Explanation
SIMPLE
verb
selling snacks.
One of the apprentices likes to conduct experiments in
subject
verb
the afternoons.
COMPOUND
coordinators
independent clause
COMPLEX
Exercise 1
Read the following sentences and decide if they are simple, compound or complex
sentences.
1. Shin and Shan bicker every now and then over where they should have their meal.
2. Noel loves to go to the laboratory and spend his mornings experimenting.
3. Shan argues there is nothing wrong with swimming in the river, eating at the hawker
centres, or shopping at the small shops.
4. Peter dislikes studying in the library; he constantly gets distracted.
5. Last night, after extensive, noisy row, we decided to take two doses of vaccinations.
6. The bus was late, but we managed to reach our destination on time.
7. Although there are many books in the library, the students refuse to study in the library.
8. Five hundred Kuala Lumpur children protested the prohibition on the sale of snack foods
in schools.
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9. Two hundred civilians were killed in the Iraq war, but the journalist failed to cover the
story.
10. Although some water spilled on the scripts, the scientists managed to read the results.
11. Liam will be delighted if he wins the contest again.
12. We packed all the leftover food after the dinner.
13. Even though he enjoyed reading, he will not buy any comics because he only reads short
stories.
14. Their employer was not impressed by their work performance.
15. As soon as he heard the news, he rushed straight to the campus.
16. I am learning mechanical drawing, and last week I learned to draw a car.
17. The sales are excellent, so I think this is a good investment for him.
18. Amy cooks a lot, but she never cooks any French dish.
19. If you leave your details to the receptionist, our manager will get in touch with you when
he comes into the office.
20. The pantry of these college students smells of cakes and coffee .
INDIRECT SPEECH
Indirect Speech, also referred to as Reported Speech, is used when
talking or writing about the past. In writing minutes of a meeting, the past
tense is used because the issues discussed in the meeting have already
taken place. However, even if some of the issues are going to occur or
have yet to occur, it is advisable to use the past tense to avoid confusion.
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Direct Speech
Simple Present
Simple Past
Past Continuous
The following chart presents the time and place references that need to be changed in
writing the minutes.
now
then
yesterday
today
that day
last week
here
there
ago
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this
this week
tomorrow
that
that week
the following day
tonight
last Saturday
In writing the minutes, we can use a variety of words. For example, the word said can be written
in many forms as shown in the above basic tense chart.
Exercise 1
Can you list the words that can be used to replace said in writing the minutes?
said
Exercise 2
Change the tenses in the following sentences to the indirect speech.
1. Ramlah said, I have already assigned Suresh as the supervisor of the project.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. Aziz said, Rahman can be-in-charge of the participants next Saturday.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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3. Rahayu said, My team needs at least four weeks to prepare the working paper prior to the
event.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. Mr. Rama said, Ill edit all the articles and reports for the Daily Bulletin and present them at
the next meeting.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. Amran said, I did not take the photos of the event last Sunday. It was Rahmat.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
6. Liza, the Finance Manager said, I dont think it is a good idea
to have the annual dinner at the Emerald Hotel because we dont have sufficient
budget. Moreover, it is costly if we are thinking of inviting many guests.
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Reporting Questions
In the direct speech, we use WH-Questions and Yes/No Questions to make inquiries. For
example,
WH-Questions:
b)Munira asked, Who is preparing the speech for the Director?
c)Rohit asked, Tell me Dani. What has your committee done to overcome the problems?
d)The Chairman asked, Why did Rafisah take the report to the panel?
Yes/No Questions
e)Nur asked, Did Dayana brief the project leaders at the previous meeting?
f) Suhada asked, Has Ida made all the necessary amendments to the working paper that
need to be submitted by next Monday?
g) The supervisor asked, Has the proposal been submitted?
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The change of tenses from the direct speech (DS) to indirect speech (IS), although similar, is
slightly different. Observe the following sentences.
a) DS:
IS:
b) DS:
Rohit asked, Tell me Dani. What has your committee done to overcome the
problems?
IS:
Rohit wanted to know what Dani and his committee had done to
overcome the
problems.
c) DS:
IS:
d) DS:
IS:
e) DS:
IS:
f)
DS:
IS:
The Chairman asked, Why did Rafisah give the report to the panel?
The Chairman wanted to know why Rafisah had given the report to
the panel.
Nur asked, Did Dayana brief the project leaders at the previous
meeting?
Nur wanted to know whether Dayana had briefed the project leaders
at the previous meeting.
Suhada asked, Has Ida made all the necessary amendments to the working
papers that needed to be submitted by next Monday?
Suhada wanted to know if Ida had made all the necessary amendments to the
working papers that needed to be submitted by the following Monday.
The supervisor asked, Has the proposal been submitted to the examiner?
The supervisor wanted to know whether the proposal had been submitted to
the examiner.
The table below presents the change in tenses from the direct to indirect speech based on
YES/NO QUESTIONS
Verbs/Modals
Present
Past
BE
was, were
DO
does, do
did
HAVE
has, have
had
Modals
questions that start with BE, DO, HAVE verbs and modals.
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Activity 3
Change the following WH- and Yes/No Questions to the indirect
speech.
1.
Arina asked Hanis, When will you give the door gifts to the
guests?
________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
2. Hafizi asked Najib, How long does the montage presentation take?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. Mee Siew asked Rohana, Which are the incoming projects that need immediate attention
in terms of budget allocation?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. The Chairman asked, What are the backup plans if Plan A could not be executed?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. Samy asked Derrick, Can I put you in-charge to present the project implementation before
the committee panel next Thursday?
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
6. Komathi asked Syafiq, Have you informed the suppliers to send in the necessary items by
next Friday?
_______________________________________________
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_______________________________________________
7. Aizat asked Azam, Does the task committee scrutinize the applications of the AF3
project?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
8. Lisa asked Izza, Is Danial, the publicity co-ordinator, ready to present the tentative plan
regarding the road-tour programme?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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