a sentence
grace
probability is higher and then their effort to finish the task is greater.
or
Obviously, the higher the individuals’ motivation values, the higher their
expected probability, then the greater their effort to finish the task.
My question: Which is right in the above two sentences?
Thanks in advance!
cybercypher
Neither one makes sense to me. How about this:
"The higher an individual's level of motivation, the greater their
effort to finish the task."
"Motivation values" is, IMHO, meaningless, and I have no idea what
"the
higher their expected probability," is supposed to mean.
--
Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor
Native speaker of American English; posting from Taiwan.
"It has come to my attention that my opinions are not universally
shared." Scott Adams.
cybercypher
> "grace" <chenfa...@163.com> wrote
>
>> Obviously, the higher the individuals’ motivation values, their
>> expected probability is higher and then their effort to finish
>> the task is greater.
>>
>> or
>>
>> Obviously, the higher the individuals’ motivation values, the
>> higher their expected probability, then the greater their effort
>> to finish the task.
>>
>> My question: Which is right in the above two sentences?
>
> Neither one makes sense to me. How about this:
>
> "The higher an individual's level of motivation, the greater their
> effort to finish the task."
>
> "Motivation values" is, IMHO, meaningless, and I have no idea what
> "the higher their expected probability," is supposed to mean.
Maybe it would be better style to say
"The greater an individual's motivation, the greater their effort to
finish the task."
or, more simply,
"The greater the motivation, the greater the effort to finish the
task."
--
Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor
Native speaker of American English; posting from Taiwan.
"It has come to my attention that my opinions are not universally
shared; ergo, they are not in the public domain." Anymouse.
Derek Turner
be written in that language.
grace
"grace" <chenfa...@163.com> 写入消息新闻:fij16b$9g6$1...@news.cn99.com...
> Obviously, the higher the individuals’ motivation values, their expected
> probability is higher and then their effort to finish the task is greater.
>
> or
>
> Obviously, the higher the individuals’ motivation values, the higher
their
> expected probability, then the greater their effort to finish the task.
>
OR
The higher the individuals' motivation values, the higher their expected
probability; the higher their expected probability, the greater their effort
to finish the task.
Athel Cornish-Bowden
You still haven't explained what "the higher their expected
probability" is supposed to mean. As it stands it isn't English, as
Derek pointed out. My guess is that it means "the higher their chance
of success". If so, substituting it (both times) will make your final
version into something more or less intelligible. If not, when what?
Also, putting the apostrophe after "individuals" forces it to be
plural, in which case you might just as well have "their" instead of
"the individuals'".
--
athel
grace
"cybercypher" <cyberc...@aol.com> 写入消息新闻
:Xns99F68A7...@130.133.1.4...
> "grace" <chenfa...@163.com> wrote
>
> > Obviously, the higher the individuals’ motivation values, their
> > expected probability is higher and then their effort to finish the
> > task is greater.
> >
> > or
> >
> > Obviously, the higher the individuals’ motivation values, the
> > higher their expected probability, then the greater their effort
> > to finish the task.
> >
> > My question: Which is right in the above two sentences?
>
> Neither one makes sense to me. How about this:
>
> "The higher an individual's level of motivation, the greater their
> effort to finish the task."
>
> "Motivation values" is, IMHO, meaningless, and I have no idea what
> "the
> higher their expected probability," is supposed to mean.
>
effort.
cybercypher
> "cybercypher" <cyberc...@aol.com> wrote
That may be what you want it to mean, but that's not what it means in
English. It isn't English, as two other native anglophones have
pointed out; it is merely masquerading as English.
As I said in my follow-up to my post, it should probably be:
"The greater the level of motivation, the greater the effort to
finish the task."
That's concise English that means what you want your sentence to
mean.
--
Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor
Native speaker of American English; posting from Taiwan.
"When you have to depend on those who used to depend on you, it's
time to say goodbye." Anymouse.
Don Phillipson
news:fijn9t$mqc$1...@news.cn99.com...
> The higher the individuals' motivation values, the higher their expected
> probability; the higher their expected probability, the greater their
effort
> to finish the task.
No. This still does not say what you mean.
English THEIR is a relative pronoun, thus must
relate to something clearly cited in this sentence
or its context. In your draft here, THEIR may mean
(Case 1) "the individuals." But individuals have no
"probability." If it means (Case 2) "values," the
last THEIR contradicts it, referring to the individuals
(because individuals can exercise effort, but values
do not exercise effort.)
You will probably make faster progress if you
make the sentence shorter.
--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)
jinhyun
the motivation of the workplace, the greater the expectation of
success and rewards, the better and keener the effort to finish the
task.
Unknown
Omit "obviously". Or, if it is so obvious, don't waste words stating
it.
To me the meaning of "expected probability" is anything but obvious.
Father Ignatius
>>'Obviously, the greater the motivation of the workplace,
>>the greater the expectation of success and rewards, the
>>better and keener the effort to finish the task.
>
> Omit "obviously". Or, if it is so obvious, don't waste
> words stating it.
>
> To me the meaning of "expected probability" is anything
> but obvious.
And what of the redundacy of "the greater the motivation of
the workplace, the greater the expectation of success and
rewards" and "better and keener"?
I dimly suspect that we are trying to say simply "Motivation
works", which is itself redundant, because, if it doesn't,
it isn't motivation.
cybercypher
While it may propel the motivated, it doesn't guarantee arrival at the
desired destination. In that sense, it is not redundant.
Mike Lyle
Yes. It's wordy drivel. The author probably wanted to say "People
usually work better if they're paid well."
--
Mike.
--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com
Skitt
> Father Ignatius wrote:
>>>> 'Obviously, the greater the motivation of the workplace,
>>>> the greater the expectation of success and rewards, the
>>>> better and keener the effort to finish the task.
>>>
>>> Omit "obviously". Or, if it is so obvious, don't waste
>>> words stating it.
>>>
>>> To me the meaning of "expected probability" is anything
>>> but obvious.
>>
>> And what of the redundacy of "the greater the motivation of
>> the workplace, the greater the expectation of success and
>> rewards" and "better and keener"?
>>
>> I dimly suspect that we are trying to say simply "Motivation
>> works", which is itself redundant, because, if it doesn't,
>> it isn't motivation.
>
> Yes. It's wordy drivel. The author probably wanted to say "People
> usually work better if they're paid well."
Maybe. Actually, it is the expectation of rewards that motivates. The well
paid often don't work nearly as hard as those who hope to be paid well.
--
Skitt
Bill Braun
Bill B.
R H Draney
>
>Skitt wrote:
>> Maybe. Actually, it is the expectation of rewards that motivates. The
>> well paid often don't work nearly as hard as those who hope to be paid
>> well.
>
Ontogeny recapitulates breakfast....r
--
"He come in the night when one sleep on a bed.
With a hand he have the basket and foods."
- David Sedaris explains the Easter rabbit