King's English

[Fred]

The important things to remember about writing appraisals in the King’s English is that there are no capitalization rates; only capitalisation rates.

 

[jtrotta]

Is it datum or data?? Kings English or English Kings?? Addendum or Addenda???

I know it's like running your fingernails across a chalkboard, but have to agree with Tim; and it just may be that between work and comming here to play, that some folks are just tired, maybe. They come here to get involved, I personally feel that if I can decifer/decipher and understand what they are attempting to say, then I at some time in the future can apply for a position as a "Certified Underwriter" and make some sense of it all, then I will be able to go on; vacation / holiday ?? which is proper here - vacation or holiday

To all- most UW's are neither licensed or certified; have a limited background in the appraisal field; 9 out of 10 cannot go toe to toe ( or should it be tow to tow) on a verbal rebuttle with the report in front of them; so when the factual data (datum) is there, they cannot use language or spelling to discredit a report. If all 3,4, or 5 comps. lead to a value of (oh lets say) $250,000 - and at the bottom of the grid page the numbers are supported, where's the problem :?:

Factual; just the other day had a UW - that I had to call by request of the Lender; his question or problem was that I had not mentioned in my desk review; or commented on the fact that comps. #1 & #2 - were the most similar to the subject, but were over 1 year old. (I did not have my report in front of me) And I said is that your major hang up? He said yup and then I said, well then why did you send the appraiser back out for (6) SIX more comps. if YOU feel that the first (2) were the best available, but were beyond the six month time frame??? He said let me review the file and I'll get back to you. The loan has closed; he never called me back and he never mentioned anything about several of the mispelled words I had commented on in my review. Bascially, the speling didnt mater, it was the bottom line and how to defend it.

Also, all should remember if you mispell a word, it may have a different meaning and make your report more defensible. I love when the political venue of this country displays how we can use information and language for many purposes- (IT) became a real issue and was defended by a real "slick willy" not all that long ago; never knew (it) had so many different meanings.

 

[Daniel Williams]

in all honesty...is it addenda or addendum?

 

[David S. Roberson]

addenda is the plural of addendum

 

[Austin]

I was just up on a news Webb site reading a William F. Buckley column, and after reading for a while, this thread came to mind. William F. Buckley is without question one of the most accomplished writers of the 20th century. Perfect grammar, perfect syntax, and in general has perfected the art of rhetoric to the highest degree. For me to make this statement was to pass the Rubicon by risking incurring the wrath of the sentient rhetoricians on this board. In summary, I derived as about much information from William F. Buckley’s column as you derived from the preceding sentence. Buckley has perfected the art of rhetoric to the point that he has lost the ability to communicate coherently, which is the opposite extreme of poor writing skills. As a writing teacher once told me: “When in doubt, speak American.” American language is about as bastardized as human language gets, but it communicates what the speaker intended to be communicated. Language was created to serve the people; people were not created to serve the language. In my mind, poor writing is the result of poor public education, and to condemn the general writing ability of appraisal professions is an indictment of public education in general. Public education does not exist to educate, it exists to indoctrinate Liberal philosophy into young skulls full of mush. Liberalism is the source of the dilemma of much of what is wrong in this country. “Social equality at last, thank God Almighty, social equality at last.” Except for Liberals of course who are above the rest of us and instigate such discussions as this one by establishing themselves as an intellectual elitist and then use that status to pass judgment on the less fortunate who are saddled with a public education complements of their Liberal cronies who dominate the public education system, thus destabilizing the social equality they so graciously imposed on the rest of us. Liberalism is a vicious cycle. Dig it dud? Wouldn’t you agree?
:twisted:

 

[Damon Pedersen]

I agree with Robert.

Those of you that think that spelling and grammar errors in your reports go un-noticed because underwriters don't read them are wrong. They do read most of it, and I think anytime they see grammer and/or spelling errors, it makes them look further into the report. After all, if an appraiser is too lazy to run spell check, what other short cuts have they taken.

Damon

 

[xmrdfghap]

This may not be the forum for this(I usually post humor in the Watercooler) but it seems so appropriate for this discussion that I couldn't resist.

A girl walked up to the information desk in a hospital and asked to see the "upturn".

"I think you mean the 'intern', don't you?" asked the nurse on duty.

"Yes," said the girl. "I want to have a 'contamination.'"

"You mean 'examination,'" the nurse corrected her.

"Well I want to go to the 'fraternity ward,' anyway."

"I'm sure you mean the maternity ward."

To which the girl replied: "Upturn, intern; contamination, examination; fraternity, maternity - what's the difference? All I know is I haven't demonstrated in two months and I think I'm stagnant."

 

[Austin]

Greg: My point exactly. This woman is the product of a Liberal public education. This woman is a model of social equality. Social equality can only be achieved by reducing everybody to the lowest common denominator. So, what is your complaint? Are you a good Liberal or an elitist-privileged Conservative? You preach Liberalism at the Watercooler and practice elite Conservatism in the General forum by setting writing standards to such a high level that by your own admission no one but you can achieve them.

 

[xmrdfghap]

Buckley has perfected the art of rhetoric to the point that he has lost the ability to communicate coherently, which is the opposite extreme of poor writing skills.

I actually find him very coherent. I simply disagree with him frequently. I also find him, like many such conservatives, incredibly smug.

If you are reading a well written article, and are unable to understand what is said, why blame the author rather than your own shortcomings as a reader? Isn't that rather like the person who complains that a car goes too fast and, rather than learning to drive, blames the car manufacturer?

As a writing teacher once told me: "When in doubt, speak American." American language is about as bastardized as human language gets, but it communicates what the speaker intended to be communicated.

<span style='color:brown'> All of us use "American."I have seen few examples of other versions of English idiom used on this forum. Even your Mr Buckley uses "American" English. Using "American" does NOT mean you "dumb down" your writing for the lowest common denominator. It means you use those words necessary to convey your meaning....hopefully nothing more, certainly nothing less.</span>

Language was created to serve the people; people were not created to serve the language.

So serve the people by using language properly. Don't make the people guess at what you mean.

In my mind, poor writing is the result of poor public education, and to condemn the general writing ability of appraisal professions is an indictment of public education in general.

Dubya is a product of private schools and he is marginally literate. He doesn't speak well, and he doesn't think well. Perhaps he should have had a public education. Let me let you in on a closely held secret. Poor writing is a result of poor thinking. Or, in some cases, unfamiliarity with the language. It is NOT a function of what type of school you attended.

Many of our greatest thinkers, Philosophers, scientists, theoreticians, orators, in short, the entire gamut of brilliant men and women that created this country and continues to pay its bills and advance the frontiers of science and technology are public school graduates.

Public education does not exist to educate, it exists to indoctrinate Liberal philosophy into young skulls full of mush.

<span style='color:brown'> Can you give me any example of this startling concept? In what school district's mission statement did you find this information? I find that the several school boards in my area are mostly conservative, interested only in preparing students for life and football. It is necessary for students to study history, English, math and the sciences. I have never seen a course called "Liberal Philosophy"

As a former school board member, former president of the PTA, and parent of two children who graduated from public school, brother to three brothers and a sister (one is an attorney, two are successful businessmen, and my sister is a stay at home mom ....her husband, also a public school graduate, is CEO of a very nice publicly traded corp in Colorado) who graduated from public schools, and child of parents who graduated from public school, I find your bold proclamation a little silly. BTW, one brother sat in the New Mexico Legislature for two terms as a Republican, and mom was County Commissioner for two terms in New Mexico....also a Republican.

Blanket condemnations just don't work. There are too many exceptions to the rules to make rules (particularly silly ones like this) valid.</span>

Liberalism is the source of the dilemma of much of what is wrong in this country.

<span style='color:brown'> I really don't see much wrong with this country. You have the ability to choose how to make a living. You have the freedom to worship or not worship as you choose. You have access to basic health services. You are able to criticize the government without fear of imprisonment. You are wealthier than 95% or the rest of the world. You don't have to have armored cars, security guards around your compound, or pay off cops just to earn a living. Or do you live in that bad of a neighborhood?

I thank God every day that I live in this society. It is not only good, it is better than it was a hundred years ago, and it just keeps getting better. Or maybe you can tell me what you see as being wrong with this country.....except for 50% or the population being liberal, that is.

To paraphrase the right wing of this country, "If you don't like it, leave it!" You have the right to live anywhere you want to live, so if this country (liberals and all) offends you so badly, then move to one where you can have your radically conservative society. But then there aren't any outside the middle east, are there? </span>

"Social equality at last, thank God Almighty, social equality at last."

<span style='color:brown'> If this is a quote, could you tell me where you quoted it from? Or perhaps, you are paraphrasing Dr King's "Free at last" speech? And I would agree. "Free at last" can be paraphrased, with comparable meaning, by "Social Equality at last" Are you saying being socially equal is a bad thing? Now who is being elitist? Social equality simply means equal access......To what segment of society would you deny freedom? </span>

Except for Liberals of course who are above the rest of us and instigate such discussions as this one by establishing themselves as an intellectual elitist and then use that status to pass judgment on the less fortunate who are saddled with a public education complements of their Liberal cronies who dominate the public education system, thus destabilizing the social equality they so graciously imposed on the rest of us.

<span style='color:brown'> Wow. That is quite a sentence. Nice turn of phrase except the premise is wrong. You seem to equate liberalism with elitism......Spiro Agnew tried that back in the 70's....it didn't hold water then and it doesn't now. Crony is slang for friend. Cronies is the plural. Does this mean you have a problem with liberals having liberals for friends? And in reality, the person who "instigated" this discussion is a person of Jewish decent who was, in all honesty, trying to explain his difficulty in expressing himself in a second language. And I am not quite sure what his educational background is. </span>

Liberalism is a vicious cycle.

What is vicious about it?

Dig it dud?

<span style='color:brown'> Did you mean "Dude"?</span>

Wouldn't you agree?

No

 

[Austin]

Greg: I am at work right now and very busy. Your arguments are so sophistic and full of illogical holes that it would take a small volume to answer them all. I will address them one by one tonight. Stay tuned sports fans; the softballs Greg threw me are about to be batted out of the park. In a battle of the minds, the enemies of truth, justice, and the American Way are defenseless. Truth when crushed to earth shall rise again; the eternal years of God are Her's; but error wounded writhes in pain and dies amid Her worshipers! Tune in tonight and read first hand as the worshipers of error receive their just judgment. :idea: