Subject-Verb Agreement in Sindhi and English Essay Example for Free

Subject-Verb Agreement in Sindhi and English Essay Abstract In this paper, the researchers particularly investigated the subject verb agreement in Sindhi and English languages. English and Sindhi are two entirely different languages. There are differences in their phonology, morphology and syntax also. In this paper, the researchers examined the difference between one of the aspects of syntax, specially the difference between subject verb agreements in both the languages. Syntactically English is a head initial SVO language and Sindhi is a head Final SOV language. These two languages differ not only in phonology, morphology and syntax but they have also got difference in their origin. First the study shows a brief look at origin of Sindhi and English languages. Then subject verb agreement in Sindhi and English is analysed individually, afterwards there is a analysis of comparison between these two languages in subject verb agreement. Key words: Subject-verb, Agreement, Paryog, Head, Comparative, Syntax Introduction – Sindhi Sindhi is an Indo-Aryan language with its roots in the Lower Indus River Valley. Sindhi language is one of the most ancient languages of the world, which belongs to the Indus Valley Civilization. This language is the family member of the languages like Urdu, Persian, Sanskrit, Arabic, Hindi, and so on. Sindhi employs Perso-Arabic script and thus is written from right to left in contrast to the most of the Western languages which are written from left to right (Shaikh 1986). Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 13:6 June 2013 Mubarak Ali Lashari and Amara Aftab Soomro Subject-Verb Agreement in Sindhi and English: A Comparative Study Sindhi takes its name from the river Indus, known in earlier times as the Sindhu. Today Sindhi is spoken in the province of Sindh, Pakistan where it is recognized by the government as the official language of the province. Nearly half of the population of Sindh province lives in rural areas, where Sindhi is the primary language. In the urban centers of Sindh, Sindhi competes for status and speakers with Urdu (the national language of Pakistan), and increasingly English. Sindhi is also spoken by about 2.5 million people in India, including major communities in Gujarat, Mumbai and Pune, where immigrants from Sindh relocated after the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan. Beyond the Indian subcontinent, Sindhi is spoken by large Diaspora communities in the United Kingdom and the United States, and around the world. English The history of the English language really started with the arrival of three Germanic tribes who invaded Britain during the 5th century AD. These tribes were the Anglos, the Saxons and the Jutes. They crossed the North Sea from what today is Denmark and northern Germany. At that time the inhabitants of Britain spoke a Celtic language. But most of the Celtic speakers were pushed towards west and north by the invaders mainly into what is now Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The Angles came from Englaland and their language was called â€Å"Englics from which the words England and English are derived. English is a head initial SVO language, shows distinctive agreement only in the third person singular, present tense form of verbs, which are marked by adding -s (walks) or -es (fishes). The rest of the persons are not distinguished in the verb (I walk, you walk, they walk, etc.). In English, singular verb generally have an ‘s’ at the end, Plural verbs do not, and Nouns are the opposite, like; book (singular noun), walks (singular verb) and books (plural noun) , drive (plural verbs) etc. Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 13:6 June 2013 Mubarak Ali Lashari  and Amara Aftab Soomro Sindhi Structure In Sindhi, the order of words in a sentence differs from English. The verb typically appears at the end of the sentence in Sindhi, while in English, it comes after the subject, but not at the end of the sentence. Syntactically, Sindhi displays a host of properties that are typical of Indic languages as a whole. Sindhi is a head-final SOV language. Postpositions are attested and affixation is largely suffixal. Sindhi verbs agree with their subjects in person, gender, and number. All inflection proceeds by way of affixation. Sharaf ud Din Islahi, in â€Å"The linguistic connections of Urdu and Sindhi languages† (Urdu-Sindhi ke Lisani Rawabit), affirms the above claims that Sindhi language is closely associated with the sub-continental languages. He confirms that Urdu and Sindhi are two such languages of the sub-continent in which much linguistic relations and agreements are found. Their phonetic system is almost same. Their grammar is closely related. Their vocabulary and semantics are inter-connected. Their scripture is almost same. Their literary traditions are also almost analogous. (pp. 61) â€Å"Sindhi language has taken birth from Sanskrit and Prakrit; and its letters of Alphabets are mostly from Sanskrit† (Shaikh 1986, pp,6). Now we will have a brief investigation of syntactical differences between Sindhi and English language. Syntactic difference between English and Sindhi. Structure dependency seems common in all the languages. This asserts that â€Å"knowledge of language relies on the structural relationship in sentences rather than the sequence of words.† (Chomsky 1988). Yet language differs in many ways; if knowledge of language consisted simply of unvarying principles, all human languages would be identical. The theory of Head parameters specifies the order of elements in a language. It asserts that some languages are head-initial and some languages are head-final. We are here concerned with English and Sindhi language, so the syntactic differences of both these languages are given below: 1. English is a head-initial language and Sindhi is a head-final language. Other differences are; 2. Sindhi is written from right hand rule, while English is written from left hand side. Example This is English. - (He Sindhi Ahe) †«Ã™â€¡Ã™Å  Ø ³ ÚÅ'ÙŠ Ø ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬3. In Sindhi language, the auxiliaries such as. ‘-†«Ã¢â‚¬â„¢-Ù ¿Ã™Ë†-‘ ,’-Ù ¿ -‘ ,‘-Ø ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™Å -‘ ,’-Ø ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™â€ Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ appear at the end of the sentence, while in English auxiliaries appear in middle of the sentence. Example This is my book. (He Muhjo Kitab Ahe) †«Ã˜ ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ †« هي Ù… Ø ¬Ã™Ë† Ú ªÃ˜ ªÃ¢â‚¬ ¬ 4. In Sindhi language, verbs come after the object of the sentence, while in English language verbs come before the object of the sentence. Example I am eating. - (Aaon Khai Rahyo Ahyan) †«-Ø ¢Ã˜ ¦Ã™Ë† Ú © Ø ¦Ã™Å  Ø ±Ã™â€¡Ã™Å Ã™Ë† Ø ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ 5. In Sindhi language, preposition comes after the object, while in the English language object comes after preposition. Example I am going to School. (Aaon School Danhn Wajji Rahyo Ahyan) †«Ã˜ ¢Ã˜ ¦Ã™Ë† Ø ³Ãš ªÃ™Ë†Ã™â€ž Ú  Ù† ن†¬ †« ÚÆ'ÙŠ Ø ±Ã™â€¡Ã™Å Ã™Ë† Ø ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬Subject Verb Agreement Subject-verb agreement is a grammatical rule, which states that the subject and the verb must agree in a sentence. The subject normally refers to the noun or pronoun that tells us whom or what the sentence is about. A verb normally has a singular and plural form in the present tense. Agreement allows us to show who’s doing what in a sentence by indicating which part of the sentence go together. In languages where the verb is inflected, it often agrees with its primary argument (the subject) in person, number, and/or gender. The word whose form is determined by the other is said to be ‘agree’ with it. Agreement can occur over short or long distances in sentences (Neelman and Weeman 1999). For example consider the following sentence: John blames them In this sentence, the verb ‘blames’ agrees with the subject ‘John’. And the subject is licensed by agreement. There is no agreement between the verb and object ‘them’. Subject Verb Agreement in English Subject The word that represents the doer or agent of an action or set of actions in a sentence is either a noun (e.g., pen, car, Jessica etc) or a pronoun (e.g., we, they, he, she etc). It can be either a singular or plural. 1. Your sentence may have a compound subject. 2. Your subject will never be in a prepositional phrase. 3. Usually your subject comes before your verb. Verb The word/words represents the actions of a sentence (e.g., is, went, will place, have taken, will have been observed, etc.). Wren and Martin (2002) define verb as: â€Å"A Verb is a word that tells or asserts something about a person or thing. Verb comes from the Latin verbum, a word. It is so called because it is the most important word in a sentence† (pp. 65). Subject verb agreement refers to the change in the form of a verb depending on its subject. Wren and Martin (2001) say that; The subject of the verb, like the personal pronouns, has three persons- the first, the second and the third. The subject of a verb may be first person (I, we), second person (You [singular], You [plural]), or third person (he, she, it, they). In English a verb changes form only when its subject is third person singular (he/she/it) and only in the present tense. Present Tense Singular Plural I eat They eat You eat You eat He, She, It eats We eat Past tense Singular Plural I ate They ate You ate You ate He, She, It ate We ate The subjects above given are not underlined. The verbs are bold and underlined. Now look at the present tense conjugations of verbs, because that is where you will see a difference. In the present tense, all of the different subject uses â€Å"eat† except for the third person subjects â€Å"he†, â€Å"she†, and â€Å"it†. If you are using what are called â€Å"regular verbs†, you will always add this -s after the third person subject. Therefore you can say â€Å"I like apples†, â€Å"You like apples,† but if you use â€Å"She†, you must say â€Å"She likes apples†. English grammar is not quite this simple in practice because people don’t always use the words I, She, He, They, We, You, and It. Usually they are more specific rather simple. For instance say, â€Å"My sister teaches a class at college† or â€Å"Joe and Jessica always dress well†. Now look at the subject and than decide what type of word of pronoun it is. â€Å"My mother† is a â€Å"She†, so the verb must include an –s or –es. â€Å"Joe and Jessica† are â€Å"they†, so the verb will not have the –s or –es ending. Regular vs. Irregular Verbs This is a little more complicated because there are two types of verbs: Regular and irregular. Regular verbs such as walk, play, jump and always follows –s as stated above.; and in the past tense form you will add – ed to make walked, played, jumped. But irregular verbs do not follow this pattern. Below are given three most common irregular verbs and their conjugations, which you will have to memorize in order to use them correctly. To Be Present Tense Singular Plural I am We are You are You are He, She, It is They are Past tense Singular Plural I was We were You were You were He, She, It was They were To Have Present Tense Singular Plural I have We have You have You have He, She, It has They have Past tense Singular Plural I had We had You had You had He, She, It had They had To Do Present Tense Singular Plural I do We do You do You do He, She, It does They do Past tense Singular Plural I did We did You did You did He, She, It did They did Some Additional Rules * When you have a subject with both the singular or plural noun like â€Å"Mr, Anderson and the students†)., make the verb agree to the closest one. For instance, Jessica and the students like their university. * Make sure that contradictions like â€Å"isn’t/ aren’t, don’t/ doesn’t, haven’t etc† agree with the verb. For instance, Joe doesn’t like macroni. (Does not) The Andersons don’t like pizza. (Do not) * Words that come between a subject and its verb do not affect the number (singular or plural) of the subject. You must determine which word is the sentences subject and then use it to decide whether the verb needs an â€Å"-s† ending. For instance, . A computer with a variety of memory chips serves a special purpose. Computers with a variety of memory chips serve a special purpose. * If the verb comes before the subject, it still need to be conjugated. For instance, There are three children with the cat in the garden. * If you see who, which or that as a subject, than use the type of the verb that best suits the noun the who, which or that stands for. For instance. Maira is the type of person who is always silent. Maira is one of those girls who are always silent. Subject Verb Agreement for Compound Subjects A compound subject is made up of two or more subjects that are connected by a coordinating conjunctions. Both the subjects have the same verb. Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 13:6 June 2013 Mubarak Ali Lashari and Amara Aftab Soomro * When the compound subject is connected by ‘and’. It is treated as plural. For instance, Rabia and Sadia are my sisters. Ahmed and Aslam are absent. * A compound subject that refers to one thing/idea/person or to something considered as one unit is treated as singular. The producer and director of the film has won an award. (When one person is both the director and producer). * When there are two singular nouns joined by â€Å"or† or â€Å"nor,† use the singular verb. This is because you are looking at the noun separately, not as a combination. For instance, Neither Max nor John wants to do singing The mango or the apple juice is all right with me. * A compound subject made up of a singular subject and plural subject connected by ‘or’ or ‘nor’ is treated as follows. 1. Singular, if the subject close to the verb is singular. For instance, Either the students or the teacher has taken the globe from here. (Teachersingular) 2. Plural, if the subject close to the verb is plural. Neither the ship nor the boats are in sight. (Boatsplural) * When the subjects joined by or/nor are of different persons. The verb agrees with the nearer subject. Either he or I am guilty. Neither you nor they are responsible. * Two nouns qualified by each or every, even though connected by and, requires a singular verb. Every boy and every girl was given a packet of sweets. Specific Cases of the Subject-Verb Agreement * A collective noun can be treated as a singular or a plural depending on the context. * Collective nouns like â€Å"group, team, committee, class, family† treat a group as a single entity and therefore, should use singular verbs. For instance, 1. The group is cooperative. 2. The hockey team has great players. * It is treated as a plural when the components of the noun are considered  individually. For instance, The committee have issued individual dissenting notes. The board of directors are divided on the implementation of the reforms. * Always match the indefinite pronouns such as: â€Å"much, someone, anyone,  everyone, anything, nothing, something, everyone, each, every, either, neither, no one, one, other etc with singular verbs. For instance, Every one is anxious about me. Anyone who has got a problem, please stand up. * Some nouns like â€Å"news, civics, mumps, physics, mathematics† are singular and should be matched with the singular verbs. For instance, Mumps is a terrible disease No news is good news. * Some nouns like â€Å" spectacles† ending in ‘s’ however are treated as plural even  though they refer to one thing or pair .for instance His spectacles are broken. * Some indefinite pronouns such as: â€Å" few, many and several† are always plural. For instance, Several new products were introduced recently Few girls were absent yesterday. * Certain words such as: â€Å"any, all, most, more, none, enough, and plenty† can either be singular or plural. 1. They are singular, when they refer to one thing or person or to a portion of something and, hence they a singular verb. For instance Most of the work is over. 2. They are plural, when they refer to a number of individual things, persons, and places and hence they take a plural verb. For instance, Most of my neighbours are government employees. ( several) * ‘Many’ is singular as it modifies with a singular noun. For instance, Many students tries hard to pass this entrance exam. * Titles of books, magazines, etc are singular. For instance, The Arabian Nights is still read by many people. * Words or phrases that express an amount of money, fraction, distance, or  interval of time are singular. For instance, Twenty kilometres is a long distance. One hundred rupees is enough for this labour. * Class nouns denoting clothing, furniture, cutlery, stationary, etc. are singular. This stationary is expensive. Davidson (2003) states that sometimes it is not the immediate subject, or what seems to be the subject of the verb that determines whether the verb must be singular or plural, but some other words or phrase in the sentence. For example: The boy who is playing outside is my son. (‘the boy’ is the antecedent of the relative pronoun ‘who’). Subject Verb Agreement in Sindhi In Sindhi , the verb agrees with the subject and its number (either singular or plural), gender (masculine or feminine) and persons ( pronoun) .The word ‘Kartar’ or ‘karta’ means ‘Faail’, which we can say Subject in English and the ‘Kartary’ means ‘Faailey’( Kam Kandarr †«Ãš ªÃ™â€¦ Ú ª Ø ¯Ãšâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ ) which we can say ‘Subjective’ in English language. The verb in Sindhi can be defined as; a word that shows to be, to do, to have or an action on something, that is said to be a verb or in short a word which tells something about a person or thing etc. (Baig1992, pp.2). Verb which in Sindhi language is called â€Å"Fael† has two main kinds. According to Allana (2004), â€Å"All the Dravidian languages have two kinds of verbs Fael Mutaadi and Fael Lazmi† (pp. 262). They are same as 1. â€Å"Fael Lazmi† (Intransitive verb) and 2. â€Å"Fael Mutaadi† (Transitive verb) same as in English language. In Sindhi, the agreement is said to be a ‘Nisbatoon’ or ‘Paryoog’, Paryoog of Sindhi language is taken from Sanskrit language which means â€Å"Nisbatoon‟ or â€Å"Melap†, or we can say agreement in English language. which shows the verb agreement with other components There are three types of ‘Nisbatoon’ or ‘Paryoog’ in Sindhi language. 1. Kartary paryoog (Subjective agreement). 2. Karmani paryoog (Objective agreement). 3. Bhawei Paryoog (Neuter agreement). Here we are concerned with the ‘Kartary Paryoog’ (Subjective agreement). 1. In Sindhi language, showing the number agreement of a verb with its subjects. - (Chhokro khedde tho â€Å"Boy plays†)-†«Ãš ©Ã™Å Ãš Ã™Å  Ù ¿Ã™Ë†Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ †«-Ú‡ÙˆÚ ªÃ¢â‚¬ ¬ (Chhokra kheddan tha â€Å"Boys play†) †«-Ú‡ÙˆÚ ª Ú ©Ã™Å Ãš  Ù ¿Ã¢â‚¬ ¬* In the former sentence, the subject is singular in number, than the verb agrees to it as ‘khede tho’. * In the later sentence, the subject is plural in number, the verb agrees to it as ‘khedan tha’. Let’s look at some more examples; (Ho Masjid wayo â€Å"He went to mosque†) †«Ã™â€¡Ã™Ë† Ù…Ø ³Ã˜ ¬Ã˜ ¯ يو†¬ (Uhe Masjid waya, â€Å"They went to mosque†)- †« هي Ù…Ø ³Ã˜ ¬Ã˜ ¯ ي†¬* In the former sentence, when there is a singular subject as â€Å"Hu† (He), than it takes singular verb as ‘wayo’. †«( يو†¬went) * In the latter sentence, when the subject is plural in number as â€Å"Uhay† (They), than the verb changes from ‘wayo’ to ‘waya’ particularly in Sindhi language. 2. All the Sindhi nouns belong to one of the two noun genders, feminine and masculine. A verb in the clause agrees to the gender of the noun. For example, the verb ‘laugh’ agrees with the gender of the subject. (Chhokro khilyo â€Å"Boy laughed†) †«Ãš ©Ã™â€žÃ™Å Ã™Ë†Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ †«Ãšâ€¡Ã™Ë†Ãš ªÃ¢â‚¬ ¬ (Chhokree Khilee, â€Å"Girl laughed†) †«-Ú‡ÙˆÚ ª ÙŠ Ú ©Ã™â€žÃ™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ Masculine nouns commonly occur with the vowel endings -o in the singular , and with the –aa in the plural. And feminine noun commonly occur with the vowel endings – i in the singular and – oon in the plural . Verb agreement in ‘Kartary Paryoog’ changes according to the gender of the subject. For instance, (Chhokro khedyo huo â€Å"Boy had played)-†«Ãš ©Ã™Å Ãš Ã™Å Ã™Ë† Ù‡ و†¬ †«-Ú‡ÙˆÚ ªÃ¢â‚¬ ¬ (Chhokri kheddi hue, â€Å"Girl had played)- †«Ãšâ€¡Ã™Ë†Ãš ª ÙŠ Ú ©Ã™Å Ãš Ã™Å  Ù‡ ي†¬* In the former sentence, there is a masculine gender ‘- †«( ’ڇوÚ ªÃ¢â‚¬ ¬boy), the verb agrees to it as ‘-†«Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ãš ©Ã™Å Ãš Ã™Å Ã™Ë†Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ * In the later sentence, there is a feminine gender ‘-†«( ’-Ú‡ÙˆÚ ª ي†¬girl), the verb agrees to it as ‘-†« .’Ú ©Ã™Å Ãš Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬Let’s look at some more examples. (Ahmed School wayo, â€Å"Ahmed went to school†).†« Ø ­ Ø ¯ Ø ³Ãš ªÃ™Ë†Ã™â€ž يو†¬ (Rabia school wayee, â€Å"Rabia went to school†)- †«Ã˜ ± Ø ¨Ã˜ ¹Ã™â€¡ Ø ³Ãš ªÃ™Ë†Ã™â€ž Ø ¦Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬* In the former sentence. If there is a masculine gender (Ahmed), the verb agrees to it as ‘-†«Ã¢â‚¬â„¢- يو†¬ * In the later sentence, when there is a feminine gender (Rabia), the verb agrees to it as ‘-†« ’- Ø ¦Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬instead of ‘-†«.’- يو†¬ 3. The changing of the verb agreement of Sindhi language according to the persons (pronoun). For instance, (Aaon khedandus, â€Å"I shall play†)- †«Ã˜ ¢Ã˜ ¦Ã™Ë† Ú ©Ã™Å Ãš Ã™â€ Ã˜ ¯Ã˜ ³Ã¢â‚¬ ¬- (Aseen khedandaseen, â€Å"We shall play)- †« Ø ³Ã™Å Ã™â€  Ú ©Ã™Å Ãš Ã™â€ Ã˜ ¯ Ø ³Ã™Å Ã™â€ Ã¢â‚¬ ¬- (Hoo khedandee, â€Å"She will play†) †«Ã™â€¡Ã™Ë†Ã˜ ¡ Ú ©Ã™Å Ãš Ã™â€ Ã˜ ¯Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬Ã™Å½ (Uhey khedanda, â€Å"They will play†) †« هي Ú ©Ã™Å Ãš Ã™â€ Ã˜ ¯Ã¢â‚¬ ¬Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 13:6 June 2013 Mubarak Ali Lashari and Amara Aftab Soomro Subject-Verb Agreement in Sindhi and English: A Comparative Study 487 ï‚ · In the first sentence, when the pronoun is first person singular , the verb stand for it as ‘-†«.’-Ú ©Ã™Å Ãš Ã™â€ Ã˜ ¯Ã˜ ³Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ ï‚ · In the second sentence, the subject is first person plural, the verb agrees to it as a ‘†«.’-Ú ©Ã™Å Ãš Ã™â€ Ã˜ ¯ Ø ³Ã™Å Ã™â€ Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ ï‚ · ï‚ · In the third sentence, the subject is third person singular, the verb agrees to it as ‘—†«Ã¢â‚¬â„¢-هوØ ¡ Ú ©Ã™Å Ãš Ã™â€ Ã˜ ¯Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ ÙŽ In the fourth sentence, the subject is third person plural, the verb agrees to it as ‘ †«Ã¢â‚¬â„¢-Ú ©Ã™Å Ãš Ã™â€ Ã˜ ¯Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ Differences between the Subject Verb Agreement in Sindhi and English Here are some of the areas where English and Sindhi subject verb agreement differs. Like: Agreement with Person Present Tense English Sindhi I speak †«Ã˜ ¢Ã˜ ¦Ã™Ë† Ú ³Ã˜ §Ã™â€ž Ø §Ã˜ ¦Ã™Å Ã™â€ Ã˜ ¯ Ø ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™Å Ã˜ §Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ you speak †«Ã˜ ªÃ™Ë† Ú ³Ã˜ §Ã™â€ž Ø §Ã˜ ¦Ã™Å Ã™â€ Ã˜ ¯ Ø ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™Å Ã™â€ Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ he speaks †«Ã™â€¡Ã™Ë† Ú ³Ã˜ §Ã™â€ž Ø §Ã˜ ¦Ã™Å Ã™â€ Ã˜ ¯ Ø ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ She speaks We speak They speak †«Ã™â€¡Ã™Ë†Ã˜ ¡ Ú ³Ã˜ §Ã™â€ž Ø §Ã˜ ¦Ã™Å Ã™â€ Ã˜ ¯Ã™Å  Ø ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ ÙŽ †«Ã˜ ³Ã™Å Ã™â€  Ú ³Ã˜ §Ã™â€ž Ø §Ã™Å Ã™Ë† Ù ¿Ã˜ §Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ †«Ã™â€¡Ã™Å  Ú ³Ã˜ §Ã™â€ž Ø §Ã˜ ¦Ã™Å Ã™â€  Ù ¿Ã˜ §Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ Now we can see from the above given examples that in English a verb changes form only when its subject is third person singular (he/she/it) and only in the present tense. Now look at the present tense conjugations of verbs, because that is where you Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 13:6 June 2013 Mubarak Ali Lashari and Amara Aftab Soomro Subject-Verb Agreement in Sindhi and English: A Comparative Study 488 will see a difference. In the present tense, all of the different subject uses â€Å"speak† except for the third person subjects he, she, and it. If you are using what are called â€Å"regular verbs†, you will always add this -s (speaks) after the third person subject. But in Sindhi, all of the different subjects agree with different verb forms, as the first person subject ‘- †« ’-Ø ¢Ã˜ ¦Ã™Ë†Ã¢â‚¬ ¬agrees with the verb ‘- †« ,’Ú ³ Ù„ Ø ¦Ã™Å  Ø ¯ Ø ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬and ‘-†« ’ Ø ³Ã™Å Ã™â€ Ã¢â‚¬ ¬agrees with the verb ‘- †« ’Ú ³ Ù„ Ø ¦Ã™Å  Ø ¯ Ø ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™Å Ã™Ë†Ã¢â‚¬ ¬instead of ‘- †«.’-Ú ³ Ù„ Ø ¦Ã™Å  Ø ¯ Ø ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ The second person subject ‘- †« ’Ø ªÃ™Ë†Ã¢â‚¬ ¬agrees with the verb ‘-†« .’-Ú ³ Ù„ Ø ¦Ã™Å  Ø ¯ Ø ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™Å Ã™â€ Ã¢â‚¬ ¬And the third person subject ‘-†« ’ -هو†¬agrees wi th the verb ‘-†« ’-هو-‘ , ’-Ú ³ Ù„ Ø ¦Ã™Å  Ù ¿Ã™Ë†Ã¢â‚¬ ¬uses with the verb ‘-†« ’Ú ³ Ù„ Ø ¦Ã™Å  Ù ¿Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬and ‘-†« ’- هي†¬uses with the verb ‘- †« ’-Ú ³ Ù„ Ø ¦Ã™Å Ã™â€  Ù ¿Ã¢â‚¬ ¬and In Sindhi main verb comes with the auxiliary verb like ‘- †« . ’-Ù ¿Ã¢â‚¬ ¬here ‘-†« ’-Ú ³ Ù„ Ø ¦Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬is a main verb ‘ and ‘-†« ’-Ù ¿Ã™Ë†Ã¢â‚¬ ¬is an auxiliary verb. Other auxiliary verbs are like; ‘- †« ’-Ù ¿Ã™Ë†-‘ ,’-Ø ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™Å -‘ ,’-Ù ¿Ã¢â‚¬ ¬etc Past Tense English Sindhi†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ I visited †«Ã˜ ¢Ã˜ ¦Ã™Ë† Ú ¯ ÙŠØ ³Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ you visited †«Ã™Å Ã™â€ Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ †«Ã˜ ªÃ™Ë† Ú ¯Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ he visited †«Ã™â€¡Ã™Ë† Ú ¯ يو†¬ She visited †«Ã™â€¡Ã™Ë†Ã˜ ¡ Ú ¯ ي†¬ ÙŽ We visited They visited †«Ã™â€¡Ã™Å  Ú ¯ ÙŠØ §Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ Now we can see from above given examples that in English, a verb doesn’t changes form for the first, second or even for third person subject in the past tense, you can see that, all of the different subjects agrees with the verb â€Å"visited† . But in Sindhi, the case is different. The entire different subject uses different verbs in the past tense too. As for the first person subject ‘- †« ’Ø ¢Ã˜ ¦Ã™Ë†Ã¢â‚¬ ¬uses the verb ‘-†«Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ãš ¯ ÙŠØ ³Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ and ‘-†« ’ Ø ³Ã™Å Ã™â€ Ã¢â‚¬ ¬agrees with the verb ‘-†«.’-Ú ¯ ÙŠ Ø ³Ã™Å Ã™â€ Ã¢â‚¬ ¬and the second person subject ‘- †« ’-Ø ªÃ™Ë†Ã¢â‚¬ ¬uses the verb ‘-†«Ã™Å Ã™â€ Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ †« .’-Ú ¯Ã¢â‚¬ ¬And the third person subject ‘-†«(-هو†¬He)’ uses the verb ‘-†«,’-Ú ¯ يو†¬ ‘Hu’a (She)’ uses the verb ‘-†« ’-Ú ¯ ي†¬and ‘- †« ’Ú ¯ ي†¬agrees with the verb ‘-†«.’- هي†¬ Future Tense English Sindhi. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †«Ã˜ ¢Ã˜ ¦Ã™Ë† Ù ¾Ã™Å  Ù†Ø ¯Ã˜ ³Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ I will drink †«Ã˜ ªÃ™Ë† Ù ¾Ã™Å  Ù†Ø ¯Ã™Å Ã™â€ Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ you will drink †«Ã™â€¡Ã™Ë† Ù ¾Ã™Å  Ù†Ø ¯Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ he will drink She will drink †«Ã™â€¡Ã™Ë†Ã˜ ¡ Ù ¾Ã™Å  Ù†Ø ¯Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ ÙŽ We will drink †«Ã˜ ³Ã™Å Ã™â€  Ù ¾Ã™Å  Ù†Ø ¯ Ø ³Ã™Å Ã™â€ Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ †«Ã™â€¡Ã™Å  Ù ¾Ã™Å  Ù†Ø ¯Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ they will drink Now we can see from above given examples that in English, a verb doesn’t change its form for the first, second or even for third person subject in the future tense, you can see that all of the different subjects agrees with the verb ‘will drink’. But in Sindhi, the case is different in future tense also. The entire different subject uses different verbs in the present, past and even in future tense. As the first person subject ‘- †« ’-Ø ¢Ã˜ ¦Ã™Ë†Ã¢â‚¬ ¬uses the verb with it as ’-†« ,’-Ù ¾Ã™Å  Ø ¯Ã˜ ³Ã¢â‚¬ ¬and ‘-†« ’- Ø ³Ã™Å Ã™â€ Ã¢â‚¬ ¬uses the verb ‘†« ,’- Ù ¾Ã™Å  Ø ¯ Ø ³Ã™Å Ã™â€ Ã¢â‚¬ ¬the second person subject ‘- †« ’-Ø ªÃ™Ë†Ã¢â‚¬ ¬uses the verb ‘-†« ’-Ù ¾Ã™Å  Ø ¯Ã™Å Ã™â€ Ã¢â‚¬ ¬and the third person subject ‘-†« ’-هو†¬agrees with the verb ‘- †« ’-هوØ ¡-‘ ,Ù ¾Ã™Å  Ø ¯Ã¢â‚¬ ¬agrees with the verb ‘-†«Ã¢â‚¬â„¢-Ù ¾Ã™Å  Ø ¯Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ and ‘-†« ’- هي†¬agrees with the verb ‘- †«Ã¢â‚¬â„¢-Ù ¾Ã™Å  Ø ¯Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ Agreement with Gender The boy had cry †«Ãšâ€¡Ã™Ë†Ãš ªÃ˜ ± Ø ±Ã™â€ Ã™Ë† هو†¬ The girl had cry †«Ãšâ€¡Ã™Ë†Ãš ªÃ˜ ±Ã™Å  Ø ±Ã™â€ Ã™Å  Ù‡ ي†¬ Now you can see in the above given examples that in English, the subject for both the genders (masculine and feminine) as ‘the boy’ and ‘the girl’ agrees with the verb ‘cry’. But in Sindhi, the masculine subject ‘- †« ’-Ú‡ÙˆÚ ªÃ¢â‚¬ ¬agrees with the verb as ‘- †«Ã˜ ±Ã™â€ Ã™Ë†Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ †« ’-هو†¬with vowel ending –o, but the feminine subject ‘-†« ’-Ú‡ÙˆÚ ª ÙŠØ ¡Ã¢â‚¬ ¬agrees with the verb ÙŽ as ‘-†« ’-Ø ±Ã™â€ Ã™Å  Ù‡ ي†¬with the vowel sound ending –i. for more understanding another example is: The dog ran †«Ãš ªÃ˜ ªÃ™Ë† ÚŠ ڙيو Ù‡ و†¬ The cat ran †«Ã™ »Ã™â€žÃ™Å  ÚŠ Ú™ÙŠ Ù‡ ي†¬ ‘Dog’ is the masculine gender and ‘ cat is the feminine gender, In English the verb doesn’t change its form for different gender subjects. As in above examples, the verb agrees to both the gender subjects ‘dog’ and ‘cat’ as ‘ran’. But in Sindhi, the verb changes its form for different genders. As the gender (masculine) subject ‘†« ’-Ú ªÃ˜ ªÃ™Ë†Ã¢â‚¬ ¬agrees with the verb as ‘-†« ,’-ÚŠ ڙيو Ù‡ و†¬and the feminine gender subject ‘-†« ’-Ù »Ã™â€žÃ™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬agrees with the verb as ‘-†« ’-ÚŠ Ú™ÙŠ Ù‡ ي†¬with the vowel endings –o and –I respectively. Agreement with Numbers The boy plays †«Ãšâ€¡Ã™Ë†Ãš ªÃ˜ ± Ú ©Ã™Å Ãš Ã™Å  Ù ¿Ã™Ë†Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ The boys play †«Ãšâ€¡Ã™Ë†Ãš ªÃ˜ ± Ú ©Ã™Å Ãš  Ù ¿Ã˜ §Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ She eats †«Ã™â€¡Ã™Ë†Ã˜ ¡ Ú ©Ã˜ §Ã˜ ¦Ã™Å  Ù ¿Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ ÙŽ They eat †«Ã™â€¡Ã™Å  Ú ©Ã˜ §Ã˜ ¦Ã™â€  Ù ¿Ã˜ §Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ In English, we will always add this -s after the singular third person subject he, she, and it, and a verb has a singular and plural forms in the present tense only. ‘the boy’ is a ‘he’ so the verb must include an –s or –es ending like ‘plays’. and for plural subject as ‘the boys’ refers to â€Å"they†, the verb will not have the –s or –es ending like; ‘play’. Same is the case with â€Å"She† agrees with the verb as ‘eats’, and ‘They’ agrees with the verb as ‘eat’. And in Sindhi, the subject ‘- †« ’-Ú‡ÙˆÚ ªÃ¢â‚¬ ¬is a singular in number. Then the verb agrees to it as ‘-†« ,’-Ú ©Ã™Å Ãš Ã™Å  Ù ¿Ã™Ë†Ã¢â‚¬ ¬But if the subject ‘- †« ’-Ú‡ÙˆÚ ªÃ¢â‚¬ ¬is plural in number than the verb agrees to it as ‘- †« .’-Ú ©Ã™Å Ãš  Ù ¿Ã¢â‚¬ ¬Same is the case with the singular subject ‘-†« ’-هوØ ¡Ã¢â‚¬ ¬agrees with ÙŽ the verb as ‘-†« ’-Ú © Ø ¦Ã™Å  Ù ¿Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬and the plural subject ‘-†« ’- هي†¬agrees with the verb as ‘- †«.’-Ú © Ø ¦Ã™â€  Ù ¿Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ Similarities in Some Cases Here are some of the areas, where English and Sindhi share a common rule for subject verb agreement like: * Every verb should agree with the subject in number and person. For instance, English: They like sweets. (They=plural, like=plural). Sindhi: Uhay mitha pasand kan tha. (Uhay=plural, pasand kan tha=plural) * When a compound subject is connected by ‘and’, it is treated as plural in both Sindhi and English. For instance, English: Rabia and Sadia are my sisters. (Are= plural) Sindhi: †« =-Ø ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™â€ -(Ø ± Ø ¨Ã˜ ¹Ã™â€¡ Û ½ Ø ³Ã˜ ¹Ã˜ ¯Ã™Å Ã™â€¡ Ù… Ø ¬Ã™Ë† Ú€ÙŠÚ »Ã™Å Ã™Ë† Ø ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™â€ Ã¢â‚¬ ¬plural) * If two singular nouns refer to the same person or thing, the verb treated as singular in both Sindhi and English. For instance, English: The producer and director of the film has won an award. (Has won= singular). Sindhi: †« = -Ú ©Ã™ ½Ã™Å Ã™Ë†-( -Ù Ã™â€žÃ™â€¦ Ø ¬Ã™Å  Ù‡Ø ¯ ÙŠØ ªÃš ª Ø ± Û ½ Ù ¾ ڊيوØ ³ يو Ø ±ÃšÅ  Ú ©Ã™ ½Ã™Å Ã™Ë†Ã¢â‚¬ ¬singular). (When one person is both the producer and director). * Words joined to a singular subjects by words such as ‘with’, ‘as well as’ etc are treated as singular in both Sindhi and English. English: Sanskrit as well Arabic was taught there. (Was taught = singular). Sindhi: -†«Ã™Å  Ø ¯Ã™Å  Ù‡ ي†¬ †«= ÙŠ Ø ¯Ã™Å  Ù‡ ÙŠ-( .-Ø ³ Ø ³Ãš ª Ø ª Ø ªÃ™Ë†Ãšâ„¢Ã™Å  Ø ¹ Ø ¨Ã™Å  Ø ªÃ™Å  Ù ¾Ãšâ„¢Ã™â€¡ Ø ¦Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ singular). * When the subjects joined by the ‘or’ or ‘nor’ are of different person. The verb agrees to with the nearer in both Sindhi and English. English: Neither you nor he is responsible. (He = singular, is = singular). Sindhi: †« = -هو-( -نه Ø ªÃ™Ë† نه Ø ¦Ã™Å  هو ميو Ø ± Ø ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬singular, -†« = -Ø ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬singular) English: Either he or I am guilty. (I = singular, am = singular) Sindhi: †«Ã˜ ´ Ù… Ø ¯ Ø ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ †«Ã˜ ±Ã™Å  م†¬ †« = -Ù… -( .-ÙŠ Ø ªÃ™â€¡ هو ي†¬singular, †«=-Ø ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ singular). * When the plural noun is a proper name for some single object or some collective unit. It follows a singular verb in both Sindhi and English. English: The Arabian Nights is still a great favourite. (Arabian Nights = plural, is = singular) Sindhi: -†«( Ø ¹ Ø ¨Ã™Å Ã™â€  Ù† Ø ¦Ã™ ½Ã˜ ³ ÚÆ' Ø ª Ø ¦Ã™Å Ã™â€  Ù ¾Ã˜ ³ Ø ¯ Ú ª ÙŠ ÙŠ Ø ¯Ã™Å  Ø ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬Arabian Nights = plural, -†« = -Ø ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬singular) * The collective noun can be treated as singular in both Sindhi and English , when the noun is considered as a single unit. English: This group is cooperative. (Is = singular) Sindhi: -†«Ãš ª Ø ¯Ãšâ„¢ Ø ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ †« = -Ø ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™Å -( .- هو Ù ½Ã™Ë†Ã™â€žÃ™Ë† Ø ªÃ˜ ¹Ã¢â‚¬ ¬singular) * Words and phrases that express an amount or money, fraction, distance, or interval of time are singular in both Sindhi and English. English: Twenty kilometres is a long distance. (Is = singular) Sindhi: -†«Ãš  Ù…Ù  Ø µÃ™â€žÃ™Ë† Ø ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ †« =Ø ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™Å -( ÙŠ Ù‡ Ú ªÃ™â€žÃ™Ë†Ã™â€¦Ã™Å Ã™ ½Ã¢â‚¬ ¬singular) English: One hundred rupee is a large sum. (Is = singular) Sindhi: -†« = -Ø ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™Å -( -Ù‡Ú ª Ø ³Ã™Ë† Ø ± Ù ¾Ã™Å Ã™â€¡ Ú Ã™Å  قي Ø ª Ø ¢Ã™â€¡Ã™Å Ã¢â‚¬ ¬singular) Conclusion From above analysis, we have examined that the subject and the verb agrees in a sentence. Agreement allows us to show who’s doing what in a sentence by indicating which part of the sentence go together. And through above analysis of comparison between Sindhi and English verb agreement, we have come to know the difference as well as the similarities in subject verb agreement in both languages. ========================================================= References Ahmed, S , Shah, Z. Qurat-ul-Ain (2004) , Syntactical Translation System for English to Sindhi translation. A paper presented in National Conference on Emerging Technologies 2004. Retrieved from http://www.szabist.edu.pk/Publications/Session%20VI%20Paper%20No%201%20(P %20112-115).pdf Bajwa.F (-), The fundamental of English Grammar and composition. Nela Gumbal, Lahore: Zia Publishers Barber, C. (1964). The Story of language. Pan piper/ Pan books Ltd. Cook.J. V. (1996). Chomsky’s Universal Grammar. Hong kong, Blackwell Publisher. Cole, J.S (2006), The Sindhi language. Asian Educational Services. Catherine (2013), BBC learning English, subject-verb agreement. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1844_gramchalleng e47/ Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 13:6 June 2013 Mubarak Ali Lashari and Amara Aftab Soomro Subject-Verb Agreement in Sindhi and English: A Comparative Study Ping, L. G. (2012). An Alternative method of teaching subject verb agreement. The Teacher English, Vol. XLI(2) December 2012. Retrieved from http://www.melta.org.my/ET/2012/vol2/MELTA-9.pdf Guha, I. Guha, K. (2005), The Grammar tree, Essentials of Grammar and Compositon. Oxford University press. Jokhiyo, M (2008), Sojhro, Sindhi Grammar Jo Majmu’o. Kandiaro, Roshni Publishers. Lashari, M. (2011). Syntax in action, verb agreement in Sindhi language. language in India journal Subject verb agreement, writing centre module retrieved on 10/04/2013 from http://www.greenriver.edu/Documents/student-affairs/tutoringresources/wc/subject-verb-agreement-module.pdf Triumph, E. (1872). Grammar of the Sindhi language compared with Sanskrit and Prakrit. F.A Braukhaus. Murray, D. Rockowitz, A. C. (). The verb system, Subject verb agreement, Grammar Mechanics, The Hunter college reading/writing centre. Retrieved on 10/05/2013 from http://rwc.hunter.cuny.edu/reading-writing/online/subject-verb-agreement.pdf Wren, P.C. Martin, H. (2002). High school English grammar and composition. Ram Nagar, New Delhi: S. Chand Company Ltd

Orthopraxy In Islam Essay -- essays research papers fc

Orthopraxy in Islam   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Islamic life is centered on the physical practice of prayer (salat). With that the religion of Islam itself is based in the methodical movement through which Muslims show their devotion to Allah. The prayer begins with the devotee standing, bending slowly into a sitting position and ending in full prostration. Bowing fully onto the ground is a practice that shows humility and represents the true devotion of members. Practice-centered religion differentiates itself from â€Å"orthodox† religion in that it focuses primarily on ritual practice, rather than theology or doctrine, orthodox meaning â€Å"correct opinion†. The most visible orthodox religion of America is Christianity. Christianity centers life around the opinions of the church with less emphasis on purity and behavior. Islamic life is distinctly based on what can be defined as â€Å"orthopraxy† or the importance of religious practice. The orthopraxy of Islam can be seen in at least th ree of the Five Pillars of Islam, salat, Ramadan and the hajj, which are also representative of Muslim faith and duties.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Salat, as mentioned earlier, is the performance of prayer five times a day. The prayer, which includes full prostration, is performed facing Mecca. In the The Meaning of the Glorious Koran, (the earliest source of Islamic writing as dictated to Mohammed), it is written, â€Å"Whencesoever thou comest forth (for prayer, O Mohammed) turn thy face toward the Inviolable Place of Worship. Lo! it is the Truth from thy Lord. Allah is not unaware of what ye do (Surah 2:149).† Implicit directions for prayer also display the amount of emphasis on practice. Salat must be performed five times daily, at specific times of the day: early morning, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and evening. Each Friday a congregational service is held at the mosque and every male is required to attend. Before prayer, four ritual aspects are required: ritual purification, proper covering of the body, proper intention, and facing Mecca, or qibla (1). The emphasis on purity is directly associated with prayer, as one must not be impure in any way when one prays. The ritual impurity associated with everyday living is known as najasa or hadath. Najasa is external impurity including but not limited to, urine, blood, pus, feces of animals and humans. Hadath is impurity of the soul... ...ractices of The Five Pillars of Islam, the original and continually practiced rituals of Muslims. The difference also involves the lifestyle of the Christians. In most Christian sects/denominations there is no encounter with personal circumambulation, prostration or ritual covering of the body. These physical aspects of Islam truly separate it from what can be considered orthodoxy. The faith and duties of Islam are inside of the practices performed. The Islamic people practice strict physical rituals that correspond directly with their belief system. The Five Pillars of Islam exemplify the practices of Islam in that they require physical practice including worship, behavior and ritual cleanliness. The practices are followed obediently by Muslims and are seen as enhancing the relationship one has with Allah. As Dr. Denny says, â€Å"Islam†¦on the other hand, view[s] religion as a way of life and a ritual patterning of that life under God’s lordship (1).† Works Cited 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  See Frederick Denny’s book, An Introduction to Islam pages 112-136. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pickthall, Mohammed Marmaduke, ed. The Meaning of the Glorious Koran. Mentor, NY, NY.

Summary & Analysis of Al-Munqidh Min Ad-Dalal

Al Ghazali is an influential thinker of medieval Islam. He describes his education and his intellectual crisis, which left him so full of doubt and questions, to the extent that he he resigned from his professorship in Baghdad, and felt the need to retire from the world. However, his faith returned after years of questioning and seeking, during which he achieved direct knowledge of God in the form of the experience of the Sufis. Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazali’s ‘Al-Munqidh Min Ad-Dalal’ successfully allows the reader a brief and revealing window into the life of a great intellectual.It is an autobiographical account of Ghazali’s struggle during a period of spiritual unrest in his life that begins with him as a teacher at a prestigious academic institution at the age of thirty-three, and continues through his severe journey of questioning and curiosity, and ends upon his return to his teaching career but instead being a complete God-orientated man. The book o pens with Ghazali replying to a colleague who had questioned him regarding â€Å"the aims and inmost nature of sciences and the perplexing depths of the religious systems† and the reasons for Ghazali’s actions at this stage of his life.He is a curious man who focuses on everything using his analyzing eye. This habit and custom he describes as â€Å"a God-given nature, a matter of temperament, and not of my choice or contriving. † With this attitude he starts to question the different types of knowledge around him. He systematically and thoroughly deals with each science which influences man’s spiritual and religious state of mind, covering the four main sciences of the time: theology, authoritative instruction, philosophy and mysticism. All four continue to play significant roles today. The analysis is carried out in detail, unbiased and authoritatively.He analyzes each science like a trained surgeon and then transports his results and evaluations with ac curacy and care. Included in this book is a passage which expresses the core of his spiritual journey and can be found in section four â€Å"The Ways of Mysticism† : â€Å"I learnt with certainty that it is above all the mystics who walk on the road of God; their life is the best life, their method the soundest method, their character the purest character; indeed, were the intellect of the intellectuals and the learning of the learned and the scholarship of the scholars, who are versed in the rofundities of revealed truth, bought together in the attempt to improve the life and character of the mystics, they would find no way of doing so; for to the mystics all movement and all rest, whether external or internal brings an illumination from the light of the lamp of prophetic revelation; and behind the light of prophetic revelation there is no other light on the face of the earth from which illumination may be received. † A chapter on the nature of prophecy follows this p assage, and highlights its persuasive need.He discusses the physical and rational observations, their development in humans from simple to complex, and they end where divine inspiration and revelation begin. The methodology used to explain this range of perceptions is both simple and effective and allows the reader to follow the thought pattern of the writer. A concluding chapter on Ghazali’s return to teaching successfully deals with possible denial of the theory that he claims the need for prophetic leadership. As an expert in each of the fields his replies to the various groups are from their own teachings, doctrines and own methodologies.

Business Essays - Responsibility Volvo Company - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 14 Words: 4180 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Narrative essay Did you like this example? Responsibility Volvo Company Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Marketing I. Background: According to Volvo (2007a) define that Volvo is wholly-owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company since 1999 by together with Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin, the company is part of the Premier Automotive Group (PAG) in the Fordà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s premium car division. Volvo Cars is a Centre of Excellence for Safety for Ford Motor Company, as well as a Centre of Excellence for Telemetric for PAG. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Business Essays Responsibility Volvo Company" essay for you Create order The à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Volvoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ name is owned by Volvo Trademark Holding AB, which is jointly owned by Ford Motor Company and AB Volvo. Volvo Cars employs a total of about 25,553  people. The company sold a total of more than 427,700 new Volvo cars in 2006. The Volvo Cars head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are located in Goteborg. Its cars are marketed and sold by regional market companies and national sales companies in about 100 countries. The plan, development, proposition of the organisation: The Volvo car production plants are located in Goteborg and Uddevalla in Sweden and Ghent, Belgium. Pininfarina Sverige, Uddevalla is owned jointly by Pininfarina SpA of Italy (60%) and Volvo Cars (40%). Certain components are manufactured at their Swedish plants in Skovde, Floby and Olofstrom, while the company also operates small assembly plants in Malaysia and Thailand. Small amounts of Volvo cars were also assembled at Fords factory in South Africa. In addition, production of Volvo cars also started at Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Co., Ltd since 2006. (Changan Ford Mazda Automobile), Ford Motor Companys passenger-car joint venture in Chongqing, China.  (Reference1) In Volvo (2007a), it defined that Volvo had launched the new C30 which is a car for an active lifestyle in urban areas, thus making debut in the segment for two-door premium cars. The sales target is 65, 000 cars a year and 75% of the expected buyers will be in Europe. Volvo Cars also launched Flexi Fuel models powered by renewable bio-ethanol on several European markets during autumn. The green model range is also being extended and even Volvoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s new C30 will be offered with eco-optimised Flexi Fuel power. In Volvo (2007a) its cars Management Team decided to reinforce the organisation and governance processes for environment issues to be better prepared to meet future environmental challenges and thereby further strengthen the Volvo brand. Product related issues are governed by the Environmental Committee within the PSC (Product Strategy Committee). The Environmental Committee is headed by Sven-Erik Svensson and Lex Kerssemakers. It focuses on long term strategic product issues and to improve coordination between Product Development, BBPS (Brand Business and Product Strategy), Governmental, Legal and Public Affairs as well as seeking further synergies within FMC. All non-products related issues are governed by Steven Armstrong and the Environmental Committee w ithin the Operations Committee. This Environmental Committee will as well secure coordination with the above mentioned organisational units. Steven Armstrong and Lex Kerssemaker are also the management representatives for environment in the Volvo Cars Management Team, responsible for reinforcing the core value environment as well as fulfilment of the ISO 14001 requirements. The Volvo Cars overall responsibility for ISO14001 has been transferred from Research Development to Process and Operational Excellence for improved integration in the Volvo Cars BMS (Business Management System), which already has incorporated the Quality standard ISO 9001. As a consequence of the above, the Volvo Cars Environmental Council is hereby discontinued as well as the role Volvo Cars Environmental Director. In this case, Volvo has 3 different role levels which are carmaker, local player and global player. First of all, as a role of carmaker, Volvo found that their products used to produce noise a nd air pollution during the congestion, after that they were seek to reduce the problems with à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"sustainable business strategiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, then they developed Lambda sensor, it reduced tailpipe emissions by up to 90%. The Lambda sensor was introduced into Volvo cars in1976 and now it is the standard of the industry. Another invention is the three point safety belt, which is a Volvo innovation that is now standard in every car in the world. Also, Volvo (2007b) describe that their à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"factories use closed water cycles to reduce the consumption of fresh water and are equipped with advanced water treatment facilities, while residual products are treated in an environmentally compatible mannerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. Next, as a global player Volvo (2006) suggest that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Our reputation allows us to attract expertise from around the world and source the best components that help us build the highest quality cars in the worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ wh ich allow Volvo to produce better cars that are less damaged to the environmental. Furthermore, in 2000, Volvo signed the United Nationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Global Compact initiative to work for human rights, establish good working conditions, take responsibility for the environment and combat corruption. However, as being the role of local player, the style of Volvo is totally different as global player, Volvo (2006) thinks that employees are the most important stakeholders. They have the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"responsibility to be an honest, transparent and active companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. They achieve this by à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"being a developmental, ethical and reliable employer, by contributing knowledge, and taking into account our environmental and social impact in purchasing, production and distributionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. Also Volvo provides educational and cultural programmes to employees in an effort to foster the next generation of employees and strengthen the reputation of Volv o Cars. It is believed that Volvo is doing the correct things to build a step moving forward for the future. They educated the employees who enable them to develop, innovated, come up with fresh ideas and to produce quality goods that stick with their achievement which is care more about the environment The factors causing the environmental problem when supplying: Quality is an expression of our goal to offer reliable products and services. In all aspects of our operations, from product development and production, to delivery and customer support, the focus shall be on customersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ needs and expectations. Volvoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s goal is to exceed their expectations. With a customer focus based on everyoneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s commitment and participation, combined with a process culture, our aim is to be number one in customer satisfaction. This is based on a culture in which all employees are responsive and aware of what must be accomplished to be the best business partner. An automobile is driven by people. Safety is and must be the basic principle in all design work this is a quote from the Volvo founders. A series of pioneering safety innovations has made Volvo a world leader in automotive safety over the years. The Volvo safety concept has evolved to encompass safety in a broader context safety in the interactio n with others on roads and in work situations, as well as improving comfort and working conditions for drivers and operators. A high standard of safety represents a major contribution to efficient transport. Environmental care is together with quality and safety a corporate value for the Volvo Group. Already in the mission statement, we state that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“we use our expertise to create transport-related hard and soft products of superior quality, safety and environmental careà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“. We all depend on transports and smoothly functioning transportation is one of the cornerstones of modern society. The distribution of daily supplies to people in cities, the trade between companies and the personal mobility are all examples of how dependent we are on transports. Volvo has a responsibility. The issue of what represents good or bad corporate social performance has been the subject of come confusion. This is mainly caused by a focus on activities rather than outco mes of activities that define performance (Woods 1991). The original social reporting movement of the 1970s died a swift death in the face of resistance from businesses who viewed it as another à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"stickà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ with which regular alters could beat them. As one of the worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s biggest manufacturers of heavy commercial vehicles, Volvo bears a clear responsibility for reducing the environmental impact of its products. However, a long history of proactive environmental programmes has also provided us with an opportunity of strengthening both our own and our customersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ competitiveness, while contributing to positive societal development. A long tradition of responsible business conduct and consistent effort under the headlines of quality, safety and environmental care form the foundation for social responsibility in the Volvo Group. The Volvo Group can be characterized as a decentralised organisation, but with common values. The approach to social responsibility actions and projects differs from country to country, depending on social security systems and other local conditions. The general reference document for ethical and social issues is the corporate code of conduct, including the issues contained in Global Compact. A new Code of Conduct was adopted by the Board of Directors in June 2003. It updates the old code from 1982 and is extended to be the general reference document for ethical and social issues. Geographically the green challenge forces companies to think internationally and globally to understand the socio-environmental impact of their products, production processes and sourcing policies. Economically it also forces them to think across industry boundaries. It cannot be understood or tackled from a nationalistic or a single across all industries, from those in the environmental implications, was demonstrated when the Code of Conduct is  committing to the principles of  the UN G lobal Compact. However the green challenge may also require marketers to abandon many of their preconceptions about their customer, their products and the nature of their market. The green challenge is emphasising the socio- environmental costs of products when marketers are used to focusing on the techno-economic benefits and their role in solving, rather than causing, problems for customers. The problem about what to do with discarded products, which used to be the consumerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s problem, is now a challenge for the marketer. In some cases marketers are actively helping consumers to use less of their products à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" a very novel concept for marketing. Let make more clearly by the Einsmannà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s (1992) explanation how when product managers championed the concept of a refill pack for Protector and Gambleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Lenor fabric softener: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“They had to overcome the conventional wisdom in the company: that the inconvenie nce of the refill packs would be unacceptable to consumers. Research closed the argument. Once refill were market tested, it was quickly apparent that the inconvenience of refillingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ was more than offset by consumersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ satisfaction at reducing the amount of plastic waste that had to be put in the rubbish bag.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ The values which organisation has chosen to build into their brands in terms of its environmental footprint : Volvo perceives their company to be at the top of the market in the world of premium cars in terms of their environmental footprint. According to their President and CEO Fredrik Arc, In Volvo (2007c) says that Volvo is to be ranked as a leader in terms of Environmental care amongst the worlds premium car brands. This can be seen to be deemed a fact as in March 2003 Volvo became one of the first carmakers in the world to be awarded global certification under the international environmental standard, ISO 14001. Volvo has produced core values that are safety, quality as well as the environment. Volvo has realized the effect on the environment that they have so taken many measures in order to reduce these negative effects. In an Environmental policy Volvo (2007d) made by their President and CEO Fredrik Arc outlines the targets they want to achieve in order for them to reach their desired level of environmental care. It covers two main key targets to help improve environmental care a nd has targets for the aims that they want to be achieve for them, these are is stated below; Energy and resource efficiency Cutting emission of carbon dioxide and use of resources by: Continually improving fuel efficiency Increasing the recycled and renewable energy resources Increasing efficiency and reducing the production of waste in all their operation. Health-related technologies Reducing health and environmental risk caused by personal mobility: Developing emission control systems to reduce the impact of Volvoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s vehicles effect of the quality of air. Minimizing the use of materials harmful to human health or the environment. Avoiding asthma including and allergenic substances in their car interiors Minimizing, as much as they can of emissions to the air, water and the soil from their produced manufactured units. These policy targets are closely related to their values of environmental care and their believed responsibilities Volvo (2007e) and ties into what Volvo states are their corporate citizenship commitment, and their desire to become a responsible corporate citizen. Volvo has in order to achieve their environmental policies strived to make their cars and production methods as environmentally friendly as possible, Which says in Volvo (2007f) that in 1976 they created a Lambda sensor that reduced tailpipe emission by 90%. The Lambda system has now become standard in the industry. They also have amongst the cleanest production facilities in the world. They have significantly reduced the environment effects of car making, by reducing solvent emissions Volvo have also taken in careful practice across all aspect of their aftercare. Volvo continuously are trying to show corporate citizenship commitment as they continue to communicate with stakeholder and show responsibility in movemen t and the buying of their parts and they use of energy when producing their cars. They continue to look to improve efficiency of their vehicles and this can be demonstrated like their research such as when they produced their Lambda sensor. Volvo focus on making their production methods more environmentally friendly, Volvo (2007g) says they have reduced solvent emission from 30kg/car in the 70à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s to 1.95kg/car in 2004. Volvo have reduced, as well eliminated a lot of harmful chemicals that are made in production. They constantly engage with and are trying to sustain their image of being an environmentally responsible organizations and are trying to build upon a good ethical reputation into their brand they say in a statement that enforce their responsibility to the environment and the reason the believe it is so much needed is because quoted from the Volvo website, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"because if we fail, the brand suffers and ultimately so do our salesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ . Volvo closely see their perception to be a ethical company to be a asset to their appeal towards potential customers and so ultimately a great differentiator against other premium car rival companies. But also taking an environmentally friendly act towards their production methods is done also according from Volvo to aid them to achieve a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"sustainable business strategiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. Basically it can be seen that Volvo uses their environmental approach as a way of them adding value to their products. Volvo has decided to adopt a favourable public image by taking the environmental stance that they have made. Volvo has taken the approach of establishing their environmental footprint approach as a pull factor to customers it will increase demand of their products in certain key market groups. Those who believe that they would want to be part of member groups such as people who believe they are environmentally aware such as members of Friends of the earth and other environmental groups. Also people who would have associative groups that also have a common interest in the environment. Their actions may lead to increased sales from these groups of consumers. Product life cycle: Every product has an impact on the environment throughout its lifecycle, from extraction of the raw materials to final disposal and recycling. For this reason, it is important to study its environmental impact from a holistic, lifecycle perspective. (Volvo k) A new Volvo car is a highly complex product whose environmental impact varies at different stages of its lifecycle. In order to cover the entire lifecycle, the EPI is divided into  six main areas. Many aspects of the products impact on the environment must be considered when mapping the life cycle of a car. The EPI enables us to grasp the entire life cycle, and to measure our progress as we work to develop more environmentally compatible products and services. In this way, we can: Show how we, our suppliers and our dealers are working to implement environmental management systems; Show how much energy is used to manufacture our cars, the quantity of solvents discharged from our plants and the efficiency with which the materials in the cars are utilized; Illustrate the emission levels generated by the cars when they are driven and how much fuel they use. This enables you to compare how much carbon dioxide is emitted and the quantity of hydrocarbons released by the cars fuel system as a whole; Specify the quantities of recycled non-metallic materials used in our cars; Describe which measures we have taken to develop a healthier in-car environment. Recommendation: In our opinion, Volvo is building the next step a bit slow behind, at the moment, it mainly focus on giving trainings to employees, which will take like 10 to 20 years time to achieve their statement to provide a leading techniques into the car that might lose the chance being a pioneer in the market. Furthermore, Volvo could co-operated with a chemistry organisation to develop a new source which can replace the fossil fuel, if it happened the citizens will not need to pay the petrol as high prices. Furthermore, In the past the customer satisfaction has been judged in terms of the performance of the product at the moment (or during the period) of consumption. An environmentally concerned consumer may reject product because they are made aware of the social or environmental harm that it causes in production or disposal. They may also avoid a product because of the activities of a producer, its suppliers or investors. The UK Green Party recently advised its members to avoid Eco ver detergent products, despites their environmental excellence. So now if the Volvo can apply a new concept of customer satisfaction they can satisfy the needs of the customer to identify the new product to target them. Finally, Volvo has a target for trying to ensure that their manufacturing of their cars and the cars they produce doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have too much of a detrimental effect on the environment. They have cleaned up their production methods as well as their engines over the years. But even doing all this there are other ventures that they could more into to help improve their environmental footprint. Many car and manufacturers have done ventures into producing electricity powered cars. These cars would not release toxic fumes that standard cars produce and emit into the atmosphere. Also while it may be expensive they could look more into renewable sources of energy in their factories such as solar and wind power. This would be a much cleaner production metho d, and less harmful to the environment. While these options are all viable there are expensive and may hamper productivity and may take time to implement. Appendix: Case study Our stakeholders include our customers, the communities in which we operate, employees and business partners à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" through dialogue and active investigation we gain insight into their reality. By identifying what is important for our stakeholders we can develop a complete corporate responsibility picture that defines our responsibilities in terms of our three important roles. Responsibility as a Carmaker As a manufacturer of cars we provide personal transport solutions that benefit individual freedom and wellbeing, as well as contributing to socio-economic development. However, Volvo Cars contributes to negative mobility issues such as congestion, noise and air pollution. It is our responsibility to ensure that we seek to minimise the negative impact of our products with sustainable business strategies. We have a long history of developing and incorporating features into our cars that benefit the community at large. One example is the Lambda sensor which, when it was introduced into Volvo cars 1976, reduced tailpipe emissions by up to 90%. The Lambda sensor is now industry standard. Another good example of how we share much of our knowledge is the three point safety belt, which is a Volvo innovation that is now standard in every car in the world. In order to understand our complex reality, it is necessary to constantly acquire knowledge and inspiration from outside the compan y. For instance, we have taken onboard the conclusions regarding the seven goals presented in Mobility 2030 within the framework of the WBCSD Sustainable Mobility Project. In our role as a carmaker it is crucial for us to identify product issues we need to work with. We achieve this through initiatives such as the Volvo Accident Research Team, Responsibility as a global company As a global brand and company we benefit from expanding markets worldwide. Our reputation allows us to attract expertise from around the world and source the best components that help us build the highest quality cars in the world. Through our supply chain network we extend our impact to incorporate our suppliers, their employees and the communities in which they operate. Our supply chain and dealer network provide us with almost global coverage. As a result, our global responsibility extends to everything that we buy and sell. By systematizing our work, we try to ensure that we and our business partners live up to high standards à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" regardless of geographical location. Our commitment to these issues can be seen in Volvo Carsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ stringent policies in our supplier agreements with regard to environmental controls, treatment of staff and human rights. In 2000, we signed the United Nationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Global Compact initiative to work for human rights, establish good working conditions, take responsibility for the environment and combat corruption. We identify our material issues in this area through global networks such as UN Global Compact Nordic Network, our stakeholder dialogues 2002-2003 and partnerships such as Biogas Cities. Responsibility as a local player As a local player, our most important stakeholders are our employees, the immediate communities where we operate and local authorities. We have a responsibility to be an honest, transparent and active company. We achieve this by being a developmental, ethical and reliable employer, by contributing knowledge, and taking into account our environmental and social impact in purchasing, production and distribution. As an employer, our responsibility is to provide a safe and healthy work environment. We contribute to the community through the support of research as well as educational and cultural programmes in an effort to foster the next generation of employees and strengthen the reputation of Volvo Cars. Our local environmental impact is something that Volvo Cars takes very seriously. As a result, our production facilities are amongst the cleanest in the world. As a local player, we define our material issues through our internal employee survey (Volvo Attitude Survey), local Stake holder dialogues and through our Governmental Affairs Department. Our responsibility Our vision is to be the most desired and successful premium car brand by creating the safest and most exciting car experience. This vision guides us in our daily work. Our brand is global and so is our influence, even though Volvo Cars is a relatively small company. Our roles can be defined on three levels: as a carmaker, as a local and global player. Our business objectives and our corporate citizenship commitments feed into each other. Our core values are safety, environment and quality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" all human-centric values. From our perspective, we do not just have responsibilities, we act on them. Therefore, our responsibility is to live up to these values à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" because if we fail, the brand suffers and ultimately so do our sales. In the end, it is our stakeholders that decide how well we shoulder our responsibilities. Our challenge is to continuously live up to their expectations. We actively engage our stakeholders in dialogue and use various channels, in a methodical way, to amass a wealth of information that helps us to be a responsible corporate citizen. Reference List Volvo (2007a) Global Reporting Initiative. Available at: https://www.volvocars.com/corporation/Sustainability/GRI/Profile.htm#2_1[Accessed: 20 November, 2007] Volvo (2007b) Cleaner From the Start. Available at: https://www.volvocars.com/corporation/environment/Production.htm[Accessed: 20 November, 2007] Volvo (2007c) Environmental Management Systems, Available at https://www.volvocars.com/corporation/environment/EnvironmentalManagementSystems.htm [Accessed 20 November, 2007] Volvo (2007d) Environmental Policy, Available at https://www.volvocars.com/NR/rdonlyres/B6FBA8E4-BE4E-4F57-90EC-11DEFC6A224C/0/Environmental_Policy_02.pdf [Accessed 20 November, 2007] Volvo (2007e) Our Responsibility, Available at https://www.volvocars.com/NR/rdonlyres/02E1D742-A4C8-445D-B936-7FF170AC49F7/0/respons.pdf [Accessed 20 November, 2007] Volvo (2007f) Environmental Tradition, Available at https://www.volvocars.com/corporation/environment/EnvironmentalTradition.htm [Access ed 29 November, 2007] Volvo (2007g) Cleaner from the Start, Available at https://www.volvocars.com/corporation/environment/Production.htm [Accesses 29 November, 2007] Volvo (2007g) Product life cycle, Available at https://www.volvocars.com/corporation/FactsandFigures/EnvironmentalProductInformationEurope/ [Accesses 12 December, 2007] www.volvo.com (2007) [Online] URL: https://www.volvocars.com/NR/rdonlyres/B6FBA8E4-BE4E-4F57-90EC-11DEFC6A224C/0/Environmental_Policy_02.pdf [Accessed: 10 December, 2007] www.volvo.com (2007) [Online] URL: https://www.volvocars.com/corporation/envirionment/EnvirionmentManagementSystems.htm [Accessed: 10 December, 2007] www.volvo.com (2007) [Online] URL: https://www.volvocars.com/corporation/envirionment/Production.htm [Accessed: 10 December, 2007] Pettie, K. (1995), Environmental Marketing Management: Meeting the Green Challenge, Pitman Publishing, London, chapter 2, 3 pages 36-37. Fuller, D.A. (1999), Sustainable Marketing , SAGE Kotler, P. (2005), Corporate Social Responsibility, Wiley and Sons