Impersonal Verb Definition, Usage, and Examples

Impersonal verbs, verbs that dont refer to the action of a specific entity, are used in both English and Spanish, although in different ways. Known as verbos impersonales in Spanish, they are fairly rare. They consist mainly of some  weather verbs and certain uses of haber and ser along with their English equivalents. Definition of Impersonal Verb An impersonal verb is one that expresses the action of an unspecified, generally meaningless subject. In its narrowest sense, an impersonal verb can have no subject. Impersonal Spanish verbs in this narrow sense include the weather verbs such as llover (to rain), which are also defective verbs, because conjugated forms exist only in the third-person singular (as in llueve, it is raining). Applying this strict definition to English, only one impersonal verb—methinks—remains in use, and then only in literature or for effect. In a broader and more usual sense, however, impersonal verbs in English are those that use a meaningless it as the subject. The it, known by many grammarians as an expletive, dummy pronoun, or pleonastic pronoun, is used not to provide meaning in the sentence but to provide a grammatically necessary subject. In the sentences It snowed and It is apparent he lied, snowed and is, respectively, are impersonal verbs. In Spanish, sometimes plural verbs can be considered impersonal, as in a sentence such as Comen arroz en Guatemala (they eat rice in Guatemala). Note how in this sentence, the implied subject of the sentence (translated as they in English) doesnt refer to anyone in particular. There is no significant difference in meaning between saying Comen arroz en Guatemala and Se come el arroz en Guatemala (Rice is eaten in Guatemala). In other words, this impersonal usage is similar in meaning to that of the passive voice. Using the Weather Verbs The most common weather verbs that are used impersonally in addition to llover are granizar (to hail), helar (to freeze), lloviznar (to drizzle), never (to snow), and tronar (to thunder). Hacer can similarly be used impersonally in phrases such as hacer viento (to be windy, literally to make or do wind). Other weather-related hacer phrases include hacer buen tiempo (to have good weather), hacer calor (to be hot), hacer frà ­o (to be cold), hacer mal tiempo (to have bad weather), and hacer sol (to be sunny). Verbs used similarly to refer to outdoor phenomena include amanecer (to become dawn), anochecer (to become dark, as at night), and relampaguear (to become brighter). When used impersonally, these verbs can be used only in the third person, but they can be used in any tense. For example, forms of llover include llovà ­a (it was raining), llovià ³ (it rained), ha llovido (it has rained), and lloverà ­a (it would rain). Haber as an Impersonal Verb In Spanish, the hay  form of  haber also is considered impersonal. In translation to English, there rather than it is used as a dummy pronoun. When used in the third person, haber can have meanings such as there is, there are, and there were. In the present indicative, haber takes the form of hay when referring to the existence of both singular and plural subjects. So Hay una mesa is used for There is one table, while Hay tres mesas is used for There are three tables. Traditionally in other tenses, only the singular form is used. Thus you would say Habà ­a una mesa for There was one table and Habà ­a tres mesas for There were three tables. However, although grammar purists may frown on it, it isnt unusual to hear habà ­an used for the plural, or habrà ¡n in the future tense. Ser as an Impersonal Verb In Spanish, no equivalent of it is used with impersonal verbs, which stand alone using a third-person singular conjugation. An example of an impersonal verb usage is the es in Es verdad que estoy loco (It is true that I am crazy). Ser is commonly used impersonally as the equivalent of constructions such as it is, it was and it will be in English impersonal expressions. Thus you could say Es posible que salgamos for It is possible we will leave. Note how it doesnt refer to anyone or anything in particular but is included simply so is can have a subject. Key Takeaways Impersonal verbs are those which the subject of the verb is no person or entity in particular.When impersonal verbs are used, Spanish doesnt use a noun or pronoun as the subject, omitting the subject entirely. In English, it and sometimes there are used as dummy subjects for impersonal verbs.Impersonal verbs are used only in the third person.

Is Failing a Class in College a Big Deal

When the semester comes to a close and you find yourself failing an important college class, it can feel like the end of the world. The good news is, its not. Here are some tips to keep things in perspective.   A Last-Ditch Effort May Be Worthwhile If its the end of term and your grade is final, youre probably stuck with it. But if you have some time before your professor finalizes your grade, ask what you can do to avoid failing. The professor may give you guidance on what to do for the rest of the term to get your grade up, or perhaps youll find out about opportunities for extra credit. Before you ask, think about why youre failing in the first place. If its because youve been skipping class or not putting in enough effort, its unlikely your professor will want to help you. The Consequences of Failing a Class   There are, of course, negative consequences to failing a college course. A failing grade will likely hurt your GPA (unless you took the course pass/fail), which could jeopardize your financial aid. The failure will end up on your college transcripts and could hurt your chances of getting into graduate school or graduating when you originally planned to. Lastly, failing a class in college can be a bad thing simply because it makes you feel awkward, embarrassed, and unsure about your ability to succeed in college. Then again, your college transcript may never come into play when you start looking for jobs. Your situation might also help you better understand yourself as a student. It might be the kick in the pants you needed to grasp the importance of going to class on a regular basis, doing (and keeping up with) the reading, and reaching out for help when you need it. Or your failed grade might be the epiphany you need that you really are in the wrong major, that you are taking too heavy of a class load, or that you need to focus more on academics and less on your extracurricular activities. The Next Steps   Try looking at the bigger picture: What are the bad parts of your situation? What kinds of consequences must you deal with now that you perhaps were not expecting? What changes do you need to make about your future? Conversely, dont be too hard on yourself. Failing a class in college happens to even the best of students, and its unrealistic to expect that youll be able to do everything perfectly in college. You messed up. You failed a class. But in most cases, you probably didnt ruin your life or put yourself in some kind of disastrous situation. Focus on what good you can take away from what is undeniably a bad situation. Consider what you learned and what you need to do to ensure this doesnt happen again. Going forward, do whatever you need to do to keep making progress toward your academic goals. If you ultimately succeed, that F wont seem so bad, after all.

Analysis of Roger Daniels Argument on the 1965 Immigration...

In 1965, the 89th Congress got rid of the quota system on immigration (only a certain amount of immigrants can come in from specific countries) and replaced it with a system that was more equitable. According to Roger Daniels, Congress successfully replaced the former quota system because it was seen as very discriminatory toward Asians and Eastern Europeans especially. The Immigration Law was not intended to have major consequences, according to Daniels, but it ended up causing a high influx of South American and Asian immigration over the following decades. Although Daniels presents a good argument and is correct in that Congress succeeded in their initial plans, he does not give many specific reason, and he argues that the consequences of the bill were not foreseen, which is incorrect; many people did see and were afraid of the consequences the bill might bring. In addition, the primary sources’ argument provides for scenarios that Daniels did not account for having to do w ith the underlying intent of the bill; like that it could have been spurred by diplomatic relations and war. According to Daniels, the 1965 law was enacted to end the 1921 and 1924 laws that started the quota system because the quota system was seen as discriminatory toward people of Asian descent, specifically: â€Å"American law had [previously]...permitted only ‘white persons’ and those of ‘African descent’ to become naturalized. 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Strategic Management Beverages Industry

Question: Discuss about theStrategic Management for Beverages Industry. Answer: Introduction In the mid-2000s, the alternative beverages industry was growing rapidly. It experienced high-profit margins and premium prices. However, the industry was hit hard by the economic downturn in 2008 and 2009. Sales declined by almost 12.5% during these years. As a result, the industry decreased by 2.1% in 2008 and by 2009 it fell by 3.1%. Because of this downturn, the beverage industry launched new products to expand itself. Energy and health drinks were criticized for the health risks they brought with themselves. High caffeine content may be one of the forces that affected the beverage industry mainly. The drinks contained alcohol and harmful ingredients kava and melatonin. However, the demand for new types of drinks increased when the producers entered the geographic markets. Energy drinks and sports drinks became an essential segment of the industry in 2010 with the change in the preferences of the consumers. High price points of such beverages made them an attractive option for es tablished companies like coca cola and new entrants as well. In 2008-09, only ready to drink tea and energy drink industry experienced a significant amount of growth. One of the essential factors that determine the success of a company is its ability to bring about innovation in the products. The alternative beverages have created a benchmark as it is different from the traditional drinks like fruit juice or carbonated drinks. Brand loyalty is a crucial factor and is dependent upon the image of the brand, its taste, ingredients, health effects, and energy boosting properties. The kind of endorsement, packaging, and sponsorships a company engages itself in determines brand recognition. These brands must also have an efficient distribution system to convince buyers and distribute itself. Market share, volume, and distribution are some of the key factors which drive the success of a company. Also, brand building skills are one of the most important things that determine the success of a brand. One of the most important factors for the growth of the beverage industry is the emergence of energy shots in-store counters. Energy drinks focused on teenagers, but the two-ounce energy shots were meant for adults and office goers. These drinks boasted of boosting energy on a demanding day. Moreover, the caffeine content was not regulated. Hence, such drinks can contain as much caffeine as was considered appropriate by the producers. This would pose an adverse impact on the health of people, especially children. Large doses of these energy drinks may lead to diseases like insomnia and heart arrhythmia. Moreover, an individual may develop gall bladder stone if energy drinks are taken in high doses. These health factors posed a negative impact on the beverage industry. The success of companies like PepsiCo, Coca Cola, Red Bull, Hansen Natural Corporation and others thus depended on the above-stated factors.