Monthly Archives: November 2022

Verifying Subject-Verb Agreement: Three Basics to Remember

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Sometimes making the subject agree with the correct verb can be tricky. Use these guidelines to ensure you make the right choice.

Rule 1: Match singular subjects with singular verbs and plural subjects with plural verbs.

Example: She doesn’t work (not don’t) remotely.

Example: They don’t (not doesn’t) work remotely.

Rule 2: Use plural verbs with subjects joined by and.

Example: The manager and his assistant don’t (not doesn’t) agree on everything.

Rule 3: Match these indefinite pronouns with singular verbs: anyone, anybody, anything, each, either, every, everyone, everybody, everything, many a, neither, nobody, nothing, someone, somebody, and something.

Example: Everyone likes (not like) to be recognized for doing a good job.

Underline the subjects in the following sentences and highlight the correct verb to match. Then identify the rule that applies.

  1. Anyone who [don’t, doesn’t] file the form on time will be subject to a fine.
  2. Marketing and advertising [is/are] often considered complementary departments.
  3. Elena [laugh/laughs] so loudly that those working near her complain.
  4. Grassroots campaigners who frequently volunteer [is/are] often unpaid.
  5. The personnel director position [require/requires] knowledge of HIPAA regulations.
  6. We [was/were] looking forward to the oral presenting workshop.
  7. Both Miguel and Angela [know/knows] how to fix the jam in the copier.
  8. Although they [is/are] related, Annabelle and Zac [has/have] different last names.
  9. Every CEO [have/has] a different leadership style.
  10. Each assistant and clerk [need/needs] to complete the same training modules.
  11. Manny, who was promoted, and Avaline, who wasn’t, both [want/wants] a raise.
  12. The vlogger [post/posts] a new video every Wednesday.

Verifying Subject Exercise

Verifying Subject Exercise KEY

 

Employers Are Tracking Remote Workers. Have They Crossed a Line?

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Since employees left the office and began working from home, employers have struggled with measuring productivity, wanting to know just how much workers are actually working. Many have started using technologies that allow them to see what workers type, to read employee e-mails, and to actually watch employees using a computer’s camera.

The application of such technology has doubled since the pandemic sent workers home. Prior to the virus halting business as usual, about 30 percent of employers used some type of monitoring technology. Today, 60 percent of large employers track workers to some degree. And the type of monitoring has changed from a simple badge swipe that shows when employees come and go to always-on activity-tracking tools. Some firms even use video analytics to measure facial expressions during meetings to determine which employees make the biggest contributions.

The tracking crosses industries. Some radiologists are being compared to their colleagues using “inactivity” time measures. The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority told some staff they could work from home only if they agreed to being monitored the entire workday. From architects to lawyers to academic administrators, professionals are being surveilled.

Workers are not pleased and feel their employers do not trust them. They say the surveillance discourages the valuable back-and-forth between colleagues that often leads to innovation.

The most common complaint is that tracking measures do not accurately capture offline activity. As an example, a finance executive was docked pay when she was doing math problems on paper, reading printouts, and thinking. Such instances lead to the disquieting conclusion that at least some white-collar workers are being paid only if surveillance tracking tools consider their activities actual “work.”

Nevertheless, employers say the monitoring allows them to manage more fairly, and that it helps them weed out shirkers and reward hard workers. They point to how the surveillance forces productivity by docking pay when workers step away from their work areas.

Critics of the practice say that surveillance systems push employers to focus on the appearance of busyness rather than results, and that some of the tools are more invasive than necessary.

Where to draw the line?

Discussion:

  1. Make an ethical argument in support of employers using employee monitoring technology during regular office hours.
  2. Make an ethical argument against employers using employee monitoring technology during regular office hours.
  3. Is it fair to pay workers only when they are sitting and keyboarding in front of the computer?
  4. At what point do employers step over a line when monitoring employees remotely?

Sources:

Kantor, J. and Sundaram, A. (2022, August 14). The rise of the worker productivity score. The New York Times. https://www.nyt.com

Ziegler, B. (2022, August 20). Should companies track workers with monitoring technology? The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com

Taking the Dread Out of Oral Presentations

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For a significant portion of students, the very idea of speaking in front of a group is nerve racking. Yet oral communication is an integral learning objective in the business communication classroom. Instructors can help students manage their fear and/or dislike of public speaking using a few easy-to-integrate strategies.

Do not assume students know how to present

One of the reasons some students are terrified of oral presentations is that they may not have received adequate instruction in the basics. Therefore, it makes sense to go over aspects that help improve performance, such as making eye contact, not reading from a script, enunciating clearly, using hand gestures, speaking at the right pace, and the like. Of course, the importance of practicing in front of a mirror (or videotaping) should be emphasized.

Prepare students adequately 

Use a variety of methods to prepare students for their presentations:

  • Assign readings that discuss the topic.
  • Sell the importance of oral presenting skills by discussing the part they will play in professional life, explaining the different types of presentations employees may be asked to perform (i.e., speaking at staff meetings or organizations, giving sales pitches, and presenting an oral version of a written report.)
  • Show videos of former students’ presentations (with permission) and ask students what was done well or what needed improving.
  • Make sure the assignment is written clearly and go over it in class, allowing time for questions.
  • Post the assignment in writing on your LMS.
  • Discuss best practices for creating visuals.
  • Emphasize the importance of rehearsal.
  • Grade using a rubric that spells out the assignments’ objectives.

Include low-stakes assignments

One way to help eliminate stress over oral presenting is to begin with ungraded assignments. For example, early in the semester, ask students to prepare a 90-second speech introducing themselves. Have them focus on just a few of the basic oral presenting skills such as not reading, eye contact with the audience, and good posture. At this point, refrain from making suggestions.

As the term progresses, assign another low-stakes oral presentation and ask students to work on other skills, such as varying their tone, using pauses effectively, and enunciating clearly. Do offer feedback at this point, focusing on one or two suggestions (remember to make eye contact, try to avoid ums and ahs) and give points for completing the task.

Time permitting, continue assigning short mini-talks and offering tips for improvement. As students grow more confident in their abilities, ask them to give one another feedback about performances. Give grades, but make the assignments worth only a small percentage of the overall course grade. (If the entire class grade is based on 1,000 points, make these talks worth 25 points, for example.) It may be useful to link each of these low-stakes talks to a long-term project you’ve assigned, such as a report.

Some students may never enjoy giving oral presentations, but they will certainly improve if instructors provide the chance for them to practice in a supportive environment.

Sources:

Dunham, E. (2022, August 17.) Communication: The Importance of Low-stakes Presentations. Faculty Focus. https://www.facultyfocus.com

Sheets, B. and Tillson, L. (2007, January. ) Strategies to improve students’ presentation skills. B>Quest. http://www.westga.e