Swisher Motor Case Analysis Essay Example

Swisher Motor Case Analysis Paper Wayne Swisher, President and Chief Executive Office of Swisher Mower and Machine Company (SMC), was weighing the proposal of a private branding arrangement for SMC’s line of riding mowers. He thought the inquiry presented an opportunity but details should be studied more closely. Situation Analysis: Company Background: Established in 1945 by Max Swisher, SMC grew steadily with unit volume for SMC riding mowers peaking at 10,000 units with sales of $2 million in 1966. In the 1990s, the unit volume remained constant with around 4,250 riding mowers per year. Compared with 1,263,000 unit sales in riding mowers and tractors industry, SMC only occupied around 0. 3% market share. Max Swisher, the current CEO, thought maintaining a small company image had also been an important aspect of his business philosophy, which led to the good personal relationships with dealers and customers alike. SMC produced limited but differentiated products. SMC’s flagship product, the Ride King, was credited with the first zero-turning-radius riding mower. SMC also produced a trail-mower called T-44 with a cutting width of 44 inches. Kits, the self-propelled push mower, accounted for 8. 2% of SMC’s total sales, though it did not provide a material contribution to the company’s gross profits. The replacement parts for mowers posed a good business for SMC, accounting for 20% of the total sales. The following table showed the detailed comparison of the percentage in total sales and total gross profits across different modes of mower together with replacement parts. 1995 dataRide KingT-44KitsReplacement Modes of MowerRiding MowerTrail-mowerPush mower/ % of total Sales63. 60%8. 20%8. 0%20% % of Gross Profits57. 80%13. 20%029% SMC planned to broaden SMC product line in 1996 by introducing a high-wheel string trimmer product, Trim-Max, a high-wheel, walk-behind product. With manufacturing plant in Warrensburg, Missouri, SMC owned an annual capacity of 10,000 riding mower units on a single 40-hour-per-week shift with distribution mainly in non-metropolitan areas. About 75% of sales of SMC were made in non-m etropolitan areas. SMC sold 30% through wholesalers, 25% through direct-to-dealer, 40% as private-label, and the rest 5% as exports. We will write a custom essay sample on Swisher Motor Case Analysis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Swisher Motor Case Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Swisher Motor Case Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer It sold the Ride King through wholesalers, who located throughout the country, focusing on farm dealers situated in the south central and southeastern US. SMC remained a profitable company since its founding with a net profit return on sales of 10 percent or more annually. The sound financial position minimized the need for any major short-term or long-term financing. Industry Backgrounds: Riding lawn mowers are classified as lawn and garden equipment with two basic configurations, the front-engine lawn tractors and rear engine riding mowers. However there are some mid-engine riding mowers on the market, such as those produced by SMC. Front-engine lawn tractors are the most popular design followed by rear-engine and mid-engine models. Rear engined lawn tractors are perceived as stronger and more durable. Competition in riding lawn mower market was fierce with ten manufacturers comprising major competitors in 1995, while SMC only occupied around 0. 3%, based on sales units. All these companies made Riding mowers under a nationally branded name and at the same time were engaged in private-label production. It was estimated that private-label mowers account for 65 to 75 percent of total industry sales. Each riding mower manufacturer priced its products at price points. The representative retail prices for national and private-label riding mowers typically ranged from $800 to $5,000. The manufacturer’s price of Ride King of SMC, $ 650, was quite comparative, compared with industry average. Sales trends of riding mowers were cyclical and highly seasonal. With slice decline of sales in 1991, projections for 1995 and 1996 point toward further increases in unit volume. Industry statistics show that over half of manufacturer shipments of these products occur in the four-month period from January to April. A SWOT Analysis on current situation of SMC: InternalStrengthsWeaknesses Producto Distinct products o High quality, simple design, ease-to-use and maintain, no significant claim o Interchangeable parts o Competitive priceo Limited range of products o Perception on rear and mid engine not as strong and durable as front-engine Managemento Customer-oriented Personal relationship with dealer, distributors and end-customers o CEO expertise in marketing, VP of Sales for 6 yearso One man makes all the decision o Small business mentality Marketingo Co-op advertising with its dealers o Good relationship with dealers and end-customerso Previously neglected consumer advertising o Insufficient attention for promotion and advertising campaign o No national distribution network RDo One new product on the way (Trim Max)o Not so aggressive Financeo Consistent net profit of approx. 10 percent o Adequate cash flow to finance operation o Minimize the need for short-term or long-term financingo Poor cost management o Possible liabilities – self-insurance of products External OpportunitiesThreats Market expansiono Limited market coverage (south central, southeastern). Potential expansion to the west o New target market include consumer housing, in addition to farms o Private labels business may be growingo Many big competitors like Honda, John Deere, American Yard Production etc with stronger financial resources and economic size of capacity Industry Outlooko Growing industrieso Cyclical industry o After next year, industry may be down Technologyo Possibility for automation by technology development in long term (production streamline, cost reduction)o Imitation is allowed as patent expired Problem Statement How to grow the business since sales plateau existed for almost 20 years despite continuous profits? This is what Wayne Swisher had been concerned for several years. In early 1996, Wayne Swisher received a certified letter from a major national retail merchandise chain, inquiring about a private branding arrangement for SMC’s line of riding mowers. Wayne had to decide whether or not to accept the proposal as well as the next step to grow SMC. The Private-label Proposal Contract: A 2-year contract which could be automatically extended on a year-to-year basis, with price and other terms negotiable then. Also can be terminated by any party with a 6-month notice. ? Product: Minor changes based on Ride King ? Order: An annual order of approximately 8,200 units, a sample order of 700 standard riding mower units to be delivered in Jan1997. ? Price: FOB; 5% discount on SMC’s manufacturer’s list price for its standard model; Reorders will be at the same price Marketing: SMC did not need to make any promotion effort to either the chain or the consumers. In addition, the private label relationship with the chain should be held confidential. ? Negotiable Inventory holding payment term: The chain would carry inventories in its regional warehouse. However, only until the mowers were shipped to a company store, or only when they had been in a regional warehouse for 2 months, would title be transferred and would the 45 da ys’ payment term start to take effect. Warranty: SMC’s standard warranty would be required for all mower parts. SMC was expected to bear any labor costs resulting from warranty work at $22 per hour. Replacement parts would be sold to the chain at present price point and shipped FOB factory. Proposal evaluation To facilitate our analysis with limited information, the following reasonable assumptions are taken: a) Unit sales without cannibalization, selling prices and costs (except the additional costs mentioned in the case) of Ride King would remain the level of 1995. b) Ignore the impact of decreasing unit fixed cost with expanded production volume. ) Recognize sales in late 1996, though the sample order of 700 was to be shipped and sales were to be recognized in 1997 d) Assume consistent cannibalization rate among two-year contract period (=300 cannibalized annually/8,200 annually) e) Average the one-time costs of $10000~12000, i. e. $11,000, and the costs are expense d when accepting the proposal. f) Assume SMC could well arrange production and avoid excess OT work for PL/Ride King over the minimum of 2100 units/year. g) Assume the new mowers under proposal (â€Å"PL†) occupied the same capacity as Ride King did. ) Assume after negotiation, title can be transferred upon shipment from SMC. Sales Analysis (Table A) Total Ride King Sales, both the original and those from Private Label proposal (â€Å"PL†), would be 4,874, 12,100 and 12,100 units for year 1996~1998 respectively, with net increase of 674, 7,900 and 7,900 after cannibalization. Financial Analysis ? Additional income per unit (Table B) * As stated in Assumption b), united fixed cost is overstated. Hence, gross profit of the proposal would be slightly higher. Hence, the proposal would bring an additional per unit income of $42. 5 (gross profit of 6. 5%) if within the 10,000 capacity with a single 40-hour-per-week shift and an additional income of $16. 25 (i. e. GP of 2. 5% ) if over capacity with overtime work. ? Capacity Analysis (Table C) Assume SMC could manage to arrange a smooth production without significant fluctuation to counter the seasonal delivery. Hence, production volume could be consistent with sales volume as shown in Table A. Hence, in 1996, as total production volume still under capacity, no overtime work for PL needed. While for both 1997 and 1998, 2,100 units of PL would be produced with overtime work. Incremental Income (Table D) Based on the assumption and calculation above, total incremental income can be derived as follows. The proposal would generate an extra net profit before tax for SMC of $11,098, $88,850 and $88,850 in year 1996, 1997 and 1998 respectively. On the base of year 1995, the sharp increase in sales by 178% would bring in a 21% increase in net profit before tax. Table D Ride King199619971998 Cannibalization loss Gross Profit per unit97. 5097. 5097. 50 Cannibalized volume-26-300-300 Cannibalization lost-2,535-29,2 50-29,250 Additional Income from PL Within capacity Volume7006,1006,100 Gross Profit per unit (see Table B)42. 2542. 2542. 25 Additional Income29,575257,725257,725 Over capacity Volume02,1002,100 Gross Profit per unit (see Table B)16. 2516. 2516. 25 Additional Income034,12534,125 Total Additional Income29,575291,850291,850 Incremental Income27,040262,600262,600 Additional Cost One-time cost-$11,000$0$0 **Additional Financial expenses For additional AR (ignore that of sample)$0-$57,929-$57,929 For additional Inventory (Average inventory of 2100units. )$0-$116,091-$116,091 Additional net profit before tax$16,040$88,580$88,580 1995199619971998 Additional net profit before tax $11,098$88,580$88,580 Net Profit$430,200$446,240$518,780$518,780 % increase in net profit 3. 73%20. 59%20. 59% Sales -Ride King $2,713,354$2,535,000$2,535,000 -PL $432,250$5,063,500$5,063,500 Sales$2,730,000$3,145,350$7,598,500$7,598,500 % increase in sales 15. 21%178. 33%178. 33% For detailed information on Additional Financial Expenses, please see the Table F as follows: (To simply analysis of AR financing cost, we ignore cannibalization of the sample order, and use the same selling price and payment term of PLs for the small quantity of cannibalized Ride King. Also, we ignore the inventory financing cost for 1996. ) ** Additional Financial Expenses 199619971998 Cost to finance additional AR Cannibalized Ride King-26-300-300 PL7008,2008,200 Net Additional Unit Sales 6747,9007,900 Net increase in Sales (@617. 5)$416,195$4,878,250$4,878,250 Impact on AR (45 days /360)$52,024$609,781$609,781 Cost to finance additional AR (@ 9. 5%)$4,942$57,929$57,929 Cost to finance additional Inventory Additional average inventory (assume nil for sample order)02,1002,100 Average unit cost [=((6100*(650-42. 25)+2100*(650-33. 5))/8200]$0$582$582 Average inventory cost$0$1,222,008$1,222,008 Cost to finance additional Inventory (@ 9. 5%)$0$116,091$116,091 ? Sensitivity Analysis: In order to gauge the risks associated with the terms and conditions of the proposal, SMC tried to analyze the sensitivity of the sales and profits to the changes of terms and conditions in payment terms, inventory costs, interest rates and cannibalization volume. To illustrate the point clearer, the breakeven point of each terms and condition is calculated with other situation held constant. SensitivityNo Additional Profit Payment terms -65% 114 days Extra holding inventory-131%3,700units Interest rate-196% 14. 3% Cannibalization volume -22%1,690units Because all these conditions above are unlikely to happen, SMC can be rather confident that the proposal is quite favorable in making profits. Evaluation of the proposal Just like a coin has two sides, the proposal also has pros and cons. SMC can benefit from the private label proposal from six aspects. SMC can enjoy the increase in sales and profits after accepting the proposal. The details can be seen in the following table: 19951996 Increase*1997Increase*1998Increase* Sales2,730,0003,145,60415. 22%7,598,500178. 33%7,598,500178. 33% Net Profits430,200446,2403. 73%518,78020. 59%518,78020. 59% * % increase versus those in 1995 If SMC accepted the proposal, its sales could rocket up almost 178% in 1997, compared to sales in 1995. It profits could be increased by 21% in 1997, compared to those in 1995. The proposal posed a good opportunity to SMC to increase sales and profits. †¢SMC could also benefit from stable demands for its products in the next two years. The private proposal would offer stable orders to SMC. †¢SMC could fully utilize its currently idle production capacity. Without acceptance of this private label proposal, the idle manufacturing capacity is 5,800 units per annum, more than 50% of total capacity. The high opportunity cost incurred could not be neglected. †¢Furthermore, SMC could utilize this opportunity to make entry into the most important retail distribution channel: national retail merchandise chains, which currently accounts for 24% of the national market. †¢Moreover, this proposal could provide an extra benefit of free test market! In fact, SMC remains a regional manufacturer of riding mowers for almost half a century. Its sales had plateaued for a decade while industry as a whole embraced record increase in recent years. SMC could take this precious chance to survey customer reaction across US to its unique mid-engine products with the help of the mass merchandise distributor’s strength of marketing without even using any of SMC’s scarce valuable marketing resources. †¢Additionally, this new challenge would be a best learning opportunity for SMC when it operates on a scale twice the size of current operation. SMC could learn how to cope with the production within or even exceeding full capacity. For example, stretched manufacturing would lead to unprecedented pressure for purchasing department, warehouse management, logistics, etc. On the other hand, SMC should look at the other side of coin and analyze the cons of the private label proposal as well. †¢Upon adopting the proposal, SMC would contribute more than 50% of its capacity for Ride King to one single private label mower production. Furthermore the improvement of SMC’s own brand could be limited by the remaining 42% production capacity. Limited capacity could hamper the introduction of new product, say missing the good timing, or could lead SMC to miss the good chance to grow current brand, say if demand for current brand increased. Other than capacity, the proposal also put pressure on SMC’s other resources, such as financial budget, labor, general management, etc. Private label production would consume a certain part of the limited and valuable corporate resources. †¢Moreover, accepting proposal to manufacture private brand and distribute the private brand through other channels might lead to potential conflict with its traditional distributors. Although the chain’s outlets were located in metropolitan areas, there would be some overlap in trade areas with SMC’s current dealers. SMC, a small concern, relies heavily on its regional dealers to promote its products to consumers. Such a bold move might lead to certain percentage of independent dealers to drop the SMC line. †¢The less profitable Private Label could cannibalize 300 units of the sales of more profitable Ride King annually in 1997 and 1998. What is more, the cannibalization rate could be higher than estimated 300 units a year. †¢ Additionally, SMC had to bear the risks ssociated with the private label plan. Accepting the proposal is confronted with two uncertainties. One is that the mower producer had committed two third of its current capacity to one single distributor. Once there was no renewal of the contract, it would be difficult to develop another comparable buyer. The other is that the contract would be terminated midway, i. e. one par ty is entitled to break the deal with a six-month notice beforehand at any time. Furthermore, although the total sales and output would expand almost twice, the increase in profits will not keep the same pace with the increase of the sales. Finally, SMC should consider other potential costs. For example, sudden expanded production might lead to quality insurance challenges. The product liability claims might eat up the minute increase in profit from the contract. Plus, the warranty costs would $22 per labor hour. Alternatives: ? Alternative 1: Accept the proposal and, in the long run, develop own brand based on the experiences of private label production: SMC should incorporate the consideration of the following elements when accepting the offer. Firstly, during negotiation with the mass distributor, SMC should try its best to make the contract terms more favorable. Albeit its bargaining power is somewhat limited, as a reliable provider of a highly differentiated mower product, SMC had some say on the some part of the contract. To negotiate to transfer title upon shipment by SMC would be very reasonable and fair. Holding inventory of an average of 2,100 units in the chain’s regional warehouse under SMC’s title would be very unfavorable to SMC, given PL’s high average monthly inventory financing cost of ~$4. 61 per unit per month and even higher AR financing cost of ~$4. 9 per unit. Although SMC would not hold a big chance for this as in title transfer, still Wayne could try as 15-day could save SMC an AR financing cost of ~$19,310 a year. †¢ Secondly, in order to enhance its own brand and strengthen its own brand product, SMC should make this deal only as a short run option. Production of private label can only be regarded as a temporary way to improve SMC’s sales and profits, and is not a reliable one in the long run. To develop its core competency, SMC has to emphasize on improving its own brand image and establishing its own national distribution channel. Further actions should be taken if SMC decides to accept the proposal: Aimprove its current product mix. In its four core products, Kits makes up to 8. 2% of its annual sales yet offer zero profits. With the coordination among its relevant functional area within the firm, SMC could gradually drop the whole product line of Kits if it could not improve its profitability. BHire more temporary labor to avoid excessive overtime work Since the firm scaled up its production, it should hire temporary labor with adequate training to ensure the on-time delivery and quality control. Excessive overworking for a long period might causes the decrease in both workers’ productivity and production quality. Of course, SMC should reach a good trade-off between the costs to hire extra hands and the improvement in productivity and quality. C Establish nationwide distribution network Unsatisfied being a regional riding mower provider, SMC should take the chance of free market test provided by the private label proposal to help establish its own national distribution network. Western part of United Sates poses great new chance for SMC. DDiversification of product lines It is important for SMC to build more consumers-oriented mower in addition to its current farm mower offering. For example, mowers used in cutting the grass in garden offer great potential for SMC since SMC are already quite specialized in movers used by farmers. The change in product orientation would help it to capture different market niche and widen its target customer base. ? Alternative 2: Reject the proposal and concentrate on the development of own brands: On the other hand, SMC should consider further actions to develop alternative strategies if it rejects the proposal to produce the private label. ALaunching of new product: Trim Max. If rejecting the offer, the company could put more of its limited resources to the launch of Trim Max as a strategic move, widening its product line of trail-movers under the Swisher name. But the firm will possibly be confronted with some uncertainties, such as poor sales of Trim Max. BImproving profitability of Kits or discontinue it Among SMC’s four core products, Kits makes up to 8. 2% of SMC’s annual sales yet offers zero profits. With better coordination among its relevant functional areas within the firm, SMC could examine closely the root causes of the unprofitability of Kits and try to eliminate the non-value added portion of the value chain. If SMC cannot improve Kits’ profitability at last, it should consider dropping the production of Kits at all. CEstablishing nationwide distribution network Upon rejection of the offer, in the long run, SMC should put its efforts on establishing national distribution network for its product mix, especially Trim Max, the new introduction to the market. As we mentioned earlier, the western part of United Sates is untouched yet. SMC could try to push the distribution channel toward the western part. DDiversifying product lines The advent of the new product, Trim Max, would no doubt improve the product diversification. Furthermore, SMC should expand the newly introduced products and reduce the reliance on its old flagship product, the Ride King, which was designed in the 1950s. EMore advertising Obviously, the introduction of the new product should be fully assisted by full-scale advertisements and vigorous promotions. SMC can promote its products in the current geographic scope of distribution channel to expand the sales. Furthermore, SMC could consider vigorously promoting its product to the untouched part, the western part of US, and help to set up the national distribution channels. Final decision: After delving into all the pros and cons of the two alternatives, Wayne believes that SMC should adopt this private label proposal with eyes on the long-term development of own brand. Major reasons: For SMC, the benefits are comprised of both direct and indirect contributions. Direct cost saving and profit generation, Aexcess capacity utilization The most important reason to accept this offering is that SMC can make a full use of its capacity and make more profit. As we have explored previously, SMC has around 60% of idle capacity which comprised a potential opportunity costs. In addition, analyzing from economics’ angle, we find that total fixed costs of SMC’ s products remain unchange d with the utilization of idle capacity. The additional revenue arising from the sales of private label may possibly increase profits in SMC. BProfitability In 1996, sales can increase by 15. 2% and net profits would boost by 3. 74% after accepting the proposal. In the next two years, the sales and net profits will be rocketed to 178. 3% and 20. 59%, respectively, comparing with those in 1995. †¢ Indirect benefits on regarding the production of private label as a stepping stone to promoting SMC’s own brand AAccumulation of profits to finance future development The increased profit aroused from the contract could be accumulated as retained earning to finance the company’s future expansion. This is especially true, when SMC is of such a small scale (market share is less than one percent). It would be quite difficult to fully expand after sales and profits had plateaued for more than a decade. At this stage, private label production could provide SMC with necessary profits, which could finance future development. BAccumulation of operational experience The firm can get much precious experience on operating business on a larger scale and in full capacity. The experience includes management, marketing, operation and technology experience. All of these experiences should be considered as a preparation for great leap in the future. One afternoon in early 1996, Wayne Swisher, satisfied with his analysis about the current and future development of SMC, was confident that SMC could both benefit from the private label proposal, the birds at hand, and stay in track with the long-term development of SMC’s own brand. The funds, raised by utilization of excess capacity and the production of private label, and the experiences learned from production in full capacity, could assist SWC to step further to fully develop its own brands in the long run.

Spains Arab Connection Influenced the Language

Spain's Arab Connection Influenced the Language If you speak either Spanish or English, you probably speak more Arabic than you think. Its not real Arabic youre speaking, but rather words that come from the Arabic language. After Latin and English, Arabic is probably the biggest contributor of words to the Spanish language. A large portion of English-Spanish cognates that dont come from Latin come from Arabic. Spanish Words and Arabic Origins If you know much about etymology, the English words youre most likely to think of as Arabic origin are those that start with al-. This includes words such as algebra, Allah, alkali, and alchemy. These words exist in Spanish as lgebra, Al, lcali, and alquimia, respectively. But they are far from the only Arabic-derived words in Spanish. A variety of other types of common words such as coffee, zero, and sugar (cafà ©, cero, and azà ºcar in Spanish) also come from Arabic. The introduction of Arabic words into Spanish began in earnest in the eighth century. But even before then, some words of Latin and Greek origin had roots in Arabic. People living in what is now Spain spoke Latin at one time, but over the centuries, Spanish and other Romance languages (such as French and Italian) gradually differentiated themselves. The Latin dialect that eventually became Spanish was highly influenced by the invasion of the Arabic-speaking Moors in 711. For many centuries, Latin/Spanish and Arabic existed side by side. Even today, many Spanish place names retain Arabic roots. It wasnt until late in the 15th century that the Moors were expelled. By then, literally thousands of Arabic words had become part of Spanish. Although it is believed that the English words alfalfa and alcove, which originally were Arabic, entered English by way of Spanish (alfalfa and alcoba), most Arabic words in English probably entered the language by other routes. Keep in mind also that Arabic has changed substantially since the 15th century. Some Arabic words from then arent necessarily still in use, or they have changed in meaning. aceite - oilaceituna - oliveadobe - adobeaduana - customs (as at a border)ajedrez - chessAl - Allahalacrn - scorpionalbacora - albacorealbahaca - basilalberca - tank, swimming poolalcalde - mayorlcali - alkalialcatraz - pelicanalczar - fortress, palacealcoba - bedroom, alcovealcohol - alcoholalfil - bishop (in chess)alfombra - carpetalgarroba - carobalgodà ³n - cottonalgoritmo - algorithmalmacà ©n - storagealmanaque - almanacalmirante - admiralalmohada - pillowalquiler - rentalquimia - alchemyamalgama - amalgamaà ±il - indigoarroba - symbolarroz - riceasesino - assassinatà ºn - tunaayatol - ayatollahazafrn - saffronazar - chanceazà ºcar - sugarazul - blue (same source as English azure)balde - bucketbarrio  - districtberenjena - eggplantburca - burqacafà © - coffeecero - zerochivo - billy goatcifra - cifraCorn - Korancuscà ºs - couscousdado - die (singular of dice)espinaca - spinachfez - fezfulano - whats-his-namegacela - gazelleguitarra - guitarhachà ­s - hashishharà ©n - haremhasta - untilimn - imamislam - Islamjaque - check (in chess)jaque mate - checkmatejirafa - giraffelaca - lacquerlila - lilaclima - limelimà ³n - lemonloco - crazymacabro - macabremarfil - marble, ivorymasacre - massacremasaje - massagemscara - maskmazapn - marzipanmezquita - mosquemomia - mummymono - monkeymuslim - muslimnaranja - orangeojal - I hope, God willingolà © - bravoparaà ­so - paradiseramadn - Ramadanrehà ©n - hostagerincà ³n - corner, nooksandà ­a - watermelonsof - sofasorbete  - sherbetrubio - blondtalco - talctamarindo - tamarindtarea - tasktarifa - tarifftrtaro - tartartaza - cuptoronja - grapefruitzafra - harvestzanahoria - carrotzumo - juice

Definition and Examples of Possessive Determiners

Definition and Examples of Possessive Determiners In English grammar, a possessive determiner is a type of function word  used in front of a noun to express possession or belonging (as in my phone).   The possessive determiners in English are my, your, his, her, its, our, and their. As  Lobeck and Denham point out, theres some overlap between possessive determiners and possessive pronouns. The basic difference, they say, is that pronouns replace full noun phrases. Possessive determiners, on the other hand, have to occur with a noun (Navigating English Grammar, 2014). Possessive determiners are sometimes called possessive adjectives, weak possessive pronouns, genitive pronouns, possessive determiner pronouns,  or simply possessives. Determiner and Grammar Rules CaseDeterminerGenitiveFirst-Person PronounsGenitiveModificationPersonal PronounPossessive CasePossessive PronounQuantifierSecond-Person PronounsSentence Completion Exercise: Personal Pronouns and Possessive DeterminersThird-Person PronounsUsing the Different Forms of Pronouns Examples and Observations One man, I remember, used to take off his hat and set fire to his hair every now and then, but I do not remember what it proved, if it proved anything at all, except that he was a very interesting man.(Dylan Thomas, Quite Early One Morning, 1954)Every society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers.(Mignon McLaughlin, The Complete Neurotics Notebook. Castle Books, 1981Id like to be alone with my sandwich for a moment.(Bart Simpson, The Simpsons)He drifted off into sleep and Janie looked down on him and felt a self-crushing love. So her soul crawled out from its hiding place.(Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God, 1937If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.(Henry David Thoreau, Walden You might as well fall flat on your face as lean over too far backward.(James Thurber, The Bear Who Let It AloneThe sextant was old. I found it stacked up with a collection of gramophones and ladies workboxes in a junk shop. Its brass frame was mottled green-and-black, the silvering on its mirrors had started to blister and peel off.(Jonathan Raban, Sea-Room. For Love Money: Writing, Reading, Travelling, 1969-1987. Collins Harvill, 1987 Children begin by loving their parents; after a time they judge them; rarely, if ever, do they forgive them.(Oscar WildeMy hovercraft is full of eels.(John Cleese as the Hungarian in The Hungarian Phrasebook Sketch. Monty Pythons Flying Circus, Dec. 15, 1970Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.(Albert EinsteinAll happy families resemble one another, but each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.(Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina Possessive Adjective or Determiner? The title   possessive adjective is actually more often used than possessive determiner but the latter is a more accurate description. Admittedly, in his car, the word his goes before the noun car and to that extent behaves as an adjective, but in *the his car (compare the old car) it shows itself not to be an adjective; it certainly doesnt describe the car itself. (Tony Penston, A Concise Grammar for English Language Teachers. TP Publications, 2005) Possessive Pronouns and Possessive Determiners Most  possessive determiners are  similar to their corresponding possessive pronouns: her is a possessive determiner, while hers is a possessive pronoun. The possessive determiners his and its are identical to their corresponding possessive pronouns. The function in the sentence determines the part of speech. In The red Toyota is his car, his is a determiner because its introducing the noun phrase car. In The red Toyota is his, his is a pronoun because its functioning as a noun phrase. In The company made this pen, this is a determiner. In The company made this, its a pronoun because it stands in place of a noun phrase.   (June Casagrande,  It Was the Best of Sentences, It Was the Worst of Sentences. Ten Speed Press, 2010) [The] construction with the possessive pronoun [e.g. a friend of mine] differs from the alternative of possessive determiner noun (e.g. my friend) mainly in that it is more indefinite. The sentences in (30) below illustrates this point: (30) a. You know John? A friend of his told me that the food served at that restaurant is awful.(30) b. You know John? His friend told me that the food served at that restaurant is awful. The construction with the possessive pronoun, in (30a), can be used if the speaker hasnt specified and doesnt need to specify the identity of the friend. In contrast, the construction with the possessive determiner, in (30b), implies that the speaker and listener both know what friend is intended. (Ron Cowan, The Teachers Grammar of English: A Course Book and Reference Guide. Cambridge University Press, 2008)

Networking technologies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Networking technologies - Essay Example Today, computer networks have become an important aspect in present day communication. A lot of activities and processes are controlled by computer networks. Advancement made in computer network has highly improved the level of communication. However, for effective operations, computers have to be connected to each other and other peripheral devices (Bhunia, 2006, 99). This research paper is about standard office software, file sharing and printing capabilities in a computer network for all employees working in an organization. The paper will examine a bespoke client server application accessing a locally stored database with sensitive data accessible by only 20 employees. It will as well outline a proposal to upgrade an intranet accessible to each employee of the organization and an extranet accessible by trusted clients and an internet site for carrying out clients’ orders. Using ADSL for internet connectivity posses a security problem that brought about by its use, those using this kind of internet lack security since it is are very easy for hackers to hack the data on transit since there is no software to block hackers from reaching sensitive information (Shashi, 2007, 141). The use of Ethernet in LAN cause insecurity to data they transmit because it is a broadcast system. This implies that while transmitting information in this system, there are different segments that transferred data must move through towards the receiving computer. The hackers can use some sniffing programs to out data as it moves from the host towards the receiver (Simmonds and Ekert 2004, 320). Further, adoption of peer-to-peer technology to reduce the expense of coaxial cables in Ethernet LAN, at the same gives an unsecured networking because it bases its operation on sharing of information. Other computers in the group can access sensitive information that they share on the network. The network infrastructures like hubs and

International Business Competing in the global marketplace Essay - 1

International Business Competing in the global marketplace - Essay Example Free trade must be encouraged. What this says about targeted trade barriers is that they are restrictive and detrimental to the cause of free trade. Q3) The United States is a net debtor nation and hence the FDI flows into Japan are lesser than the FDI flows into the US from Japan. Moreover, the attractiveness of the US market for its consumption patterns and its sheer size make for businesses from all over the world to invest in the US. The implications of this trend would be that more and more businesses in the US would be owned by Japanese and may not be good for the US economy in the long term. Q4) I would recommend setting up a wholly owned subsidiary in Europe as this would lead to a case where my firm can make use of the local subsidies and also leverage on the fact that the technical competence available with my firm makes it possible to manufacture the computers at half the cost. As for the other options, exporting directly from the US may involve paying tariffs and duties. And licensing to a European firm means that my firm has to share the know how with them. Q1) This is a classic question about whether free trade is beneficial or domestic market driven economies are good. My opinion is that we should go by the theory of comparative advantage and thus let firms invest abroad and complete the cycle of investments from those countries flowing back home and creating jobs. Thus, the cyclic view of trade and inflows and outflows must be taken into account while making a decision regarding investing abroad or domestically. Q2) Any multilateral trading agreement would benefit the world economy in the longer term. What one country is good at and what another is good at and hence barter or exchange has been the underpinning of the world economy and thus free trade and multilateral trade agreements benefit everyone in the longer run. As for

Poker Essay -- essays research papers

Poker: Draw Vs. Hold 'em As the room fills with smoke from cigars and cigarettes, I look across the table at the last guy in the hand. I think to myself, â€Å"Why did he just raise me?† I just raised the pot $25 on two pair. The other guy re-raised the pot another $25. My heart is beating like a freight train racing down the tracks, I’m doing everything in my power to stop from sweating and I’m trying to keep my face stone cold straight as to not give myself away. I’m pretty sure at this point that this guy is trying buy the pot, but it still makes me nervous. I decide to call his raise and when the cards are turned over I realize that I had just made the right call. I won the pot and fought off his bluff. Poker is a card game that has been around for hundreds of years. Although the origin of the game and the name itself are debatable, the game of Poker is played more than any other card game in the world. The scenario I explained took place during a game of Five Card Draw. This is a very popular rendition of Poker. Poker has evolved over the years and hence has numerous types of games that still fall under the Poker category. My favorite games are Five Card Draw and Texas Hold ‘em. Both games are similar because they derive from the original game of Poker, involves betting, and using playing cards. They also differ because of the betting, the number of cards used and the way the cards are dealt. Five Card Draw is o...

Diet: Obesity and Dieting Essay

Dieting Makes You Fat The weight-loss industry is swelling as quickly as our waistlines at the moment, which seems something of a paradox. If body-conscious consumers are so happy to buy dieting products, why are we facing an obesity crisis? The truth is, no calorie-controlled diet works; if it did, dieting professionals could kiss repeat business goodbye. Even worse: Restricting what you eat will make you fat. Worse still: Yo-yo dieting can cause depression, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. Frequent dieters are 60 percent more likely to die from heart disease than people who don’t starve themselves. The weight-loss successes trumpeted on the front of slimming magazines contradict this. They tell the stories of women (it usually is women) who have lost a lot of weight by following a diet that restricts calorie intake. As the pictures show, these women have clearly not been made fat by following such regimes. This, though, is only part of the complex dieting jigsaw, as Geoffrey Cannon explains in his book Dieting Makes You Fat. Yes, if you consume less energy than your body burns off in a day, your weight will drop. But Cannon, a public health adviser and nutrition expert, looks longer-term and says that nearly all dieters are forced to turn to drugs, surgery, further dieting or exercise to maintain that initial weight loss. If the title of the book rings a bell, it is possible you read Cannon’s earlier book of the same name, which he wrote 25 years ago. Conclusive new scientific evidence to support the claims in the first book, a global public health crisis caused by obesity and its attendant illnesses, and a booming diet industry prompted Cannon to completely rewrite this text. Dieting Makes You Fat was groundbreaking a quarter of a century ago, but its message is perhaps even more urgent today. As people are getting fatter (a government report from 2007 predicted that by 2050 most British adults will be obese), the market for weight-loss products is growing. The dieting industry in the United States is worth $46 billion a year; in Europe it is worth a‚ ¬93 billion. Clearly, our appetite for losing weight is not matched by our capacity to actually shed fat. Why did we not take Cannon’s advice the first time round? When people are skeptical of dieting regimes, they will say that diets don’t work,† he explains. â€Å"But they always stop short of saying that dieting makes you fat, which is a concept with explosive implications. † He points to scientific studies that illustrate how the dieting trap leads to weight gain. A 2007 UCLA review concluded: â€Å"We found that the majority of people regained all the weight, plus more. †¦ Most of them would have been better off not going on the diet at all. † Further evidence came from an experiment in a closed-off ecosystem in Arizona in the early ’90s. Eight scientists had agreed to live inside the man-made biosphere for two years. Once inside, they discovered they were unable to grow enough food but agreed to diet for the two years and continue with the experiment. They all dropped about 9 kilograms before their weights stabilized. Within six months of leaving the biosphere, they had piled the weight back on, and — crucially — almost of all of it was fat, not the lean tissue they had started out with. Not only does dieting make you fat, it makes you flabby, too. â€Å"Throughout history, humans have evolved and adapted to survive famine and starvation,† explains Cannon. The people who survived were the people who were best able to, those who had their larders inside themselves, in the form of body fat. A dieting regime will fail because you’re training your body to survive famine and starvation better. † Cannon takes pains to dilute the science in Dieting Makes You Fat and includes just one table in the whole book, which looks at the difference between the energy our bodies burn at different weights and with different body compositions — whether lean (physically fit but not necessarily light) or fat (not necessarily heavy, but with a high proportion of body fat to lean tissue). A lean woman who weighs 70 kilograms (154 pounds) burns 600 calories more at rest per day than a woman who weighs the same but has a lot of body fat. What, then, is the answer to losing weight, if diets are out? Cannon, without subscribing to the misconception that a thin person is, by definition, a healthy person and fat people are likewise unhealthy, says there are a lot of people out there who need to lose a lot of weight. He writes from experience, having jumped on the dieting wagon at a young age himself. When he realized that the diets he tried were ineffective, he set about proving why. Dieting Makes You Fat proposes seven golden rules for losing weight, the most salient being to get a lot of exercise and eat plenty of fresh, whole foods. Cannon admits that his approach takes six or seven months before positive results are seen, but he insists that it is what’s needed for people to dig their bodies out of the dieting trap.