APPLICATION LETTER

May 28, 2010 THE HUMAN RESOURCES & ADMINISTRATION HEAD Inara Lightings, Ltd. Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates Dear Sir or Madam: I am writing to explore the possibility of employment as Document Controller in your reputable firm. I am a Computer Science graduate of the University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City. I bring with me several years of experience as information systems analyst of leading companies that include Nissan Motor Philippines, Inc. My strong computer skills, knowledge of modern word processing software, and project management tools are but some of the things that make me an asset to your company. Attached is my resume for your perusal. Should you require any further information, I can be reached at 632-555-1234 (during regular business hours), or at 632-555-6789 (during regular business hours). Sincerely, (signed) ANGELA TANAMA

REACTING TO A MOVIE

"My Sister's Keeper."

I was really looking forward to this adaptation, as the novel is one my favorites. However... I was extremely disappointed in the changes made to the movie to "enhance the moviegoer's experience." First, changing the ending of the story greatly undermines the messages expressed in the original. The ending is a significant portion of the story, although sad, allows the reader to truly understand the meaning of sacrifice. The movie, in addition to destroying a very poignant ending also completely changed the focus of the original novel. The protagonist was Anna Fitzgerald, NOT Kate and the movie, again severely altered the balance between Anna's and Kate's roles within the story. Kate is never given voice within the book's time setting and really is formed through other characters thoughts and impressions of her. This allows a more rational exploration of the emotional pain surrounding such a situation, something the movie deliberately muddles in an attempt to pull the viewer under in an emotional submarine. The novel also focuses greatly on the ethics debate raging over such a situation presented; the novel accomplishes this task through courtroom scenes and legal dialog. The movie leaves the legal battle as an afterthought- again an interpretation that I feel is not true to the original novel. Jesse was intended to the tragic, maladjusted arsonist with serious development... again because this character was included and scenes focusing on him exist, this version of the character does not do the original justice. It was more forgivable to remove Julia Romano as she merely existed as a subplot that could have been easily removed (and was), much like Jesse. However including a bad version of a character devalues the movie all the greater. Other issues such as the sex change in Judge de Salvo are somewhat acceptable especially since Joan Cusack was brilliant in the role. Also, completely changing the physical details (blonde Kate/Brian to dark haired and vice versa for Sara/Jesse) are also lesser evils compared to the worst offense this movie committed against the book. Inventing scenes is the absolute worst thing a book movie could do. Not only does it take away from the sanctity of the novel from which it was based it also undermines the messages with in the book. Case in point, the beach scene was completely fabricated and was another throwaway attempt to change the rational focus of the novel into a snot encrusted "chick flick" message. In summation, while the move does have some bright spots, the vast majority of it was utter dreck the seriously harmed the original focus of the novel. But I am grateful for at least the opportunity to think about this issue. I am a committed Jodi Picoult reader and am extremely respectful of her literary contributions. Any feedback is welcome. Signed a loyal fan Alright, this was my extremely angry response to the movie. By default, almost all book movies will be terrible because it is almost impossible to actually follow the book. The best book movies make an attempt to (example Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was a pretty good version) follow the novels and do not invent scenes or details to suit the whims of the directors. I had a lot to get off my chest about this movie.

Choosing a Verb Tense When Summarizing Speech

When you are telling a story, you may what to summarize someone elses speech. Although you can use just about any verb tense to do so, in English different tenses create a different experience for your readers and listeners. Here is an example that uses past tense: Flipping his hair over each of his three shoulders, the alien told us about the explosion on his planet. The gas of three rocket tanks caught fire and destroyed the spaceport terminal, he said. He went on to explain that almost everyone on the planet was affected, including the volleyball team, which sustained significant losses. All their courts, he said, were covered with rubble, and they forfeited the intergalactic tournament. The aliens story is summarized speech. He is not being quoted directly. If he were, the writer would have inserted some of his exact words: Oh, the humanity! he cried. In the previous summarized speech, the verbs are all in past tense. Although rare, its possible to summarize speech in present tense also. Present tense adds an extra dose of drama: Flipping his hair over each of his three shoulders, the alien tells us about the explosion on his planet. The gas of three rocket tanks catches fire and destroys the spaceport terminal, he says. He goes on to explain that almost everyone on the planet is affected, including the volleyball team, which sustains significant losses. All their courts, he says, are covered with rubble, and they forfeit the intergalactic tournament. When reporting information, either present or past tense is acceptable. However, mixing tenses is not acceptable. Wrong: Shakey said that he had tossed the salad out the window. It hits a pedestrian, who sues for lettuce-related damages. (The first two verbs are in past tense, and the next two are in present tense.) Right: Shakey said that he had tossed the salad out the window. It hit a pedestrian, who sued for lettuce-related damages. (All verbs are in a form of the past tense.) One special note: When youre not reporting what someone says, you can make a general statement about something that always happens (someones custom or habit) using present tense. You can easily combine such a statement with a story that focuses on one particular incident in the past tense. Therefore, the preceding story may begin in present tense and move to past tense in this way: Lola excavates at the town dump every Tuesday afternoon before she attends choir practice. She often finds arrowheads, broken pottery, discarded automobile tires, and other items of interest.

Up to here in the story, all the verbs are in present tense because the story tells of Lolas habits. The story isnt reporting what someone said. In the next sentence, the story switches to past tense because it examines one particular day in the past. One day she discovered a metal coil about two feet long. On one end of the coil was a piece of gum. As she thoughtfully removed the gum and started to chew, a whistle blew. Roger sprinted into the dump at top speed. Get your hands off my gum, he exclaimed. Roger smiled. His antigum-theft alarm had worked perfectly. When youre revising a paragraph on the writing section of the SAT I or the English portion of the ACT, keep your eye out for verb-tense errors.