Women and Economics during Colonial America and Before and After Essay - 1

Women and Economics during Colonial America and Before and After American Revolution - Essay Example That writing reflects the struggles, anguishes and the tragedies within her family, local scandals and her viewpoint of the politics. The story raises question about the scenario of the colonial America. That makes us interested to examine the social and economic role of the women in colonial America, and the change in pattern of the society and the emerging role of female in social and economic perspective1. (Ulrich, 1991) In the colonial period of America, especially the mid and late 17th century the women of America used to lead monotonous lives full of work and duties. The women from the poorer families had to take less workload than the women belonging to the wealthier families2. The matter of fact is that the society used to evaluate the work of a woman according to their contribution to their own family3. (Courtney, and Ranger, 1999; Eldridge, 1997, p.62) As the British had colonized America the American society followed the social customs and rituals of the British society. The males of the families had to perform the out home duties such as earning, farming etc. On the other hand their female counterpart had to engage themselves in household chores such as cooking, child breeding, childcare, home decorating, housekeeping etc. The hardworking wives were granted the rank of goodwives. Those who performed the activities such as caring domestic animals and vegetable gardens, producing unique delic ious foods, stitching clothes, producing candles, soaps for home consumption etc could get the mark of excellence from their husbands and relatives as good women4. (Wightman Fox, Richard and Robert B. Westbrook, 1002, p.125; DuBois, and Dumenil, 2005, p. 77) The women used to form the networks of female friends and the relatives (obviously female) regarding the household duties. Through the network formation they used to make some exchanges

Market Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Market - Research Paper Example Other characteristics of free market economy are free trade fairs without subsidies or tariffs from the government. One of the most outstanding free market economies is that the government has very limited powers in a free market economy because marker powers regarding price control are set by buyers and sellers. Since the government lacks direct control of business operations regarding prices, sellers are likely to exhaust buyers through high prices (Chai 24). The government powers are restricted to providing law and order in the market operations and ensuring that only fair competition is charged. The government does not have control over participants’ entry to the market. This means that the government does not stipulate any rules regarding tariffs and subsides. Therefore, it is an economic system whereby only the fittest survive. In such economy, the government does not play any role that may favour or discourage business partners as only the involved parties regulate the transactions and prices. The government is restricted to making possible flow and functioning of the business environment through implementing policies and laws that guarantee people rights and freedoms to property. Therefore, the government is not a competitor or a market player but enhances business operations by creating a suitable business environment (Friedman 19). China is a mixed economy since the government and the private sector have an influence in the economy thus having both characteristics of both free market economies and controlled economy. Majority of mixed economies have strong government regulations as the government provides public goods and government run enterprises. In mixed economies like china, production of goods and services are mainly conducted by the private sector whereby markets are the major controllers and coordinators of economy. The driving forces within mixed markets are profit seeking enterprises and capital accumulation. Unlike pure free market e conomy in china, the government has larger indirect control over the economy by implementing monetary and fiscal policies and regulations. These policies counteract economic challenges and capitalisms’ influence towards financial crisis and challenges towards unemployment. The government has a central place in providing social welfare and making sure that public goods are available to the public (Chai 52). In general, the degree of freedom in a mixed economy against government regulations varies. The government is often responsible for providing environmental protection, maintaining unemployment standards, and controlling competition. China may not fit to be a free market economy since the government has strong control over inflation and rural spending (Friedman 35). China has been successful since its government is vibrant ion deficit funding programs since 1998 as well as endorsement of exports by tax rebates. When public demand is low due to anti-inflation, export promotio ns and monetary policies chip in to create a difference. When public demand is strong, the promotion of external export by government relaxes. Statistics show that the stock market activities are high because households and other enterprises prefer their funds in more liquid forms. Due to inflation surge, the government sets policies and regulations to correct the economic situation. Government policies in

Energy Drinks Essay Example for Free

Energy Drinks Essay Something I learned in my last Health class is the ever-increasing use of today’s new â€Å"Energy Drinks. † Caffeine is the single most used drug in America. How many of us must have that morning cup of coffee before heading out the door? How many college students are staying up late at night preparing for a mid-term or final exam by drink these new, all natural, safe, energy drinks? You may want to read their labels and adjust your thinking. You may want to include a little research in regards to these drinks. At this time there is no long-term research to report on in regards to energy drinks. What we do know is that these drinks have a variety of ingredients such as ginseng, amino acids, ginkgo, various vitamins, and high amounts of sugar. However, the primary active energy ingredient is caffeine. At this time, the FDA does not regulate the amounts of caffeine that are in these drinks. They suggest that within a 12-ounce beverage serving the amount of caffeine should be 68 milligrams or less. A report published by the Journal of Analytical Toxicology showed that of ten of the most popular energy drinks had as high as 141 milligrams in one 16-ounce serving. The following 12-ounce energy drinks showed, Monster at 120 milligrams, Red Bull at 116 milligrams, and Amp contained 107 milligrams of caffeine. To give a comparison, look at Coke and Pepsi. They only contain between 34 to 38 milligrams of caffeine. Energy drinks have risen significantly in popularity in the last few years with revenues exceeding $3. 5 billion a year and growing. One report states that with the new found popularity there are growing concerns of the possible health effects among children, adolescents, and young adults. It states that 30 to 50 percent of America drinks energy drinks. Of this amount they report that one third are from the ages of 12 to 24 consume these beverages on a daily basis. Due to these beverages being chilled makes them easier to consume quickly. High doses of caffeine have been linked to seizures, cardiac problems, mood or behavioral disorders, and diabetes. Additionally, these problems have been linked specifically to the consumption of energy drinks among children, teens, and young adults. There has been a growing concern amongst the medical community, parents, and school officials in regards to these energy drinks on our youth. Numerous reports are being found to the adverse affects these high caffeine drinks are responsible for. The Illinois Poison Control Center reported in a recent survey of more than 250 cases of caffeine overdose in a three-year period. The average age of these accounts was 21. A doctor from California reports that an eighteen year young man received treatment for an abnormal heart rhythm after consuming eight 16-ounce energy drinks per evening to remain alert during his night job. Another growing concern is the use of these energy drinks as a mixer with alcohol. A study from 2006 showed that the individuals surveyed were just as impaired in motor coordination and reaction time as individuals drinking alcohol alone. As stated earlier, there is not much evidence on the effects of long-term use of caffeine on children or teenagers. It is known that it can create physiological and psychological dependence in adults. This being true, we must do everything possible to protect our children from these non-regulated beverages. We need to insist on more research to be conducted in order to better inform the public of the consequences of the consumption of these highly-caffeinated energy drinks and the adverse effects they have on our youth. (Word Count 606) Flores, D. (2011, 03 16). Health Effect of Energy Drinks on Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults, Retrieved 07 12, 2012, from ArticlesBase. com: http://www. articlesbase. com/wellness-articles/health-effects-of-energy-drinks-on-children-adolescents-and-young-adults-4423299. html.

Principles and Influences of Gastronomy

Principles and Influences of Gastronomy Gastronomy is the study of food and culture, with a particular focus on gourmet cuisine. Modern gastronomy has its roots in several French texts published in the 1800s, but the idea of relating food, science, society, and the arts has been around much longer. True gastronomy is a demanding multidisciplinary art examining food itself along with its context, presentation, freshness, and history. While commonly associated with gourmets and gluttony, gastronomy is actually its own discipline, although some gourmets are certainly gastronomes, as are some gluttons. The principle of gastronomy is that food is a science, in addition to an art form. By understanding how all of the senses contribute to an experience, a gastronome can more completely understand what is happening when a consumer claims to dislike or enjoy a particular food item. Gastronomy also examines the sociological implications of food, along with integrating other social science disciplines such as anthropology, psychology, and philosophy. The role of food in the fine arts such as performance art, painting, and sculpture is also examined, as part of a closer look at the role of food in society in general. INFLUENCE ON NATIONAL FOOD CULTURE People mostly connect to their cultural or ethnic group through food patterns. For Immigrants food now become the means of retaining their cultural identity. Each and every individual have different cultural backgrounds and have different eating habits. The ingredients, methods of preparation, preservation techniques, and types of food eaten at different meals are different among cultures. The areas and the climate factors in which families live- and geographical location where their ancestors originated also influence food likes and dislikes. These food preferences result in varieties of food choices within a different cultural or regional group. Food items themselves have meaning and some cultural identity attached to them. For example in many Western countries a box of chocolates would be viewed as an appropriate gift while in other countries chocolates might be a less appropriate gift. Different nations or countries are frequently associated with certain foods. For example, many people associate Italy with pizza and pasta but Italians eat many other foods, and types of pasta dishes are popular throughout Italy. Methods of preparation and types of food also vary by regions and culture of a nation. Some families in the United States prefer to eat meat and potatoes, but in some families meat and potatoes are not eaten on a regular basis, nor even preferred, by many in the United States, so would not be labelled as a national cuisine. Grits, a coarsely ground corn that is boiled, is eaten in the southern United States. A package of grits is only available in the largest supermarkets in the upper Midwest and its difficult to find even in large Midwestern supermarkets a long time ago. This may be called as the geographical effect. Regional food habits also exist in nations and countries but they also change by time. As people travel from place to place food habits and preferences are imported and exported. Families move to other nations, countries or places bringing their food preferences with them. They follow their old recipes with new ingredients available at different places or experiment with new recipes, incorporating ingredients to match their own tastes. In addition, food itself is imported from other countries. Nevertheless, what is considered edible or even a delicacy in some parts of the world might be considered inedible in other parts. Although most of the times food is selected with some attention to physical need, the values or beliefs by which society attaches to potential food items and define what families within a cultural group will eat. For example, both plant and animal sources may contribute to meeting nutritional requirements for protein; soybeans, beef, horsemeat, and dog meat are all adequate protein sources. Yet, due to the some values and beliefs attached to these protein sources, they are not considered in all societies. Moreover, even when the foods perceived to be undesirable are available, they are not eaten by people who have a strong emotional reaction against those potential food item. CULTURE AND RELIGION Types and food associated to British culture: British cuisine encompasses the cooking traditions of the British Isles. It reflects the cultural influence of the colonial era as well as post-war immigrations. British cuisine boasts of a rich variety of sumptuous dishes from its different regions. Staple foods include chicken, beef, pork, lamb and fish, served with potatoes and other vegetables. The most popular dishes are fish and chips, sandwiches, trifles, pies and roast As the result of both globalization and global environmental change food systems face dramatic transformations. Change in global environment influence the physical and socioeconomic conditions that underpin terrestrial and marine food systems., Globalization is also responsible for transforming the production and storage of food, , access to and consumption of food, and the quality and safety measures associated with food and eating habits. Both processes also have direct effects on agricultural production, livelihoods, and the agricultural economies as well. More important, both processes can take place at the same time and interacting to create dynamic conditions that influence vulnerability to both rapid and gradual environmental changes. Global environmental change affects food systems through the loss of productive farmland, depletion of traditional seed stocks, loss of biodiversity, and changing climate conditions, including increasing frequency of extreme climatic events such as droughts and floods. Globalization-related changes include liberalization of trade in agriculture products, reduction of domestic subsidies and supports for agricultural production, expansion of the role of multinational corporations and supermarkets in food production and distribution, shifts toward urban and industrial land uses, and the growing influence of consumer movements in matters such as use of GMO technologies. Food is an important part of religious observance and spiritual ritual of many faiths including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. The role of food in cultural practices and religious beliefs is complex and varies among individuals and communities. Any introduction to such a diverse and complex topic will not be able to include everything. Instead, here is a sample of some ways in which various religious groups include food a vital part of their faith. Understanding the role of food in cultural and religious practice is an important part of showing respect and responding to needs of people from a range of religious communities. However, it is important to void assumptions about persons culture and beliefs. The various faiths of Christianity include Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant. The regulations governing food and drink differ from one of the next, including some faiths that dont advocate any restrictions. Though todays avant-garde chefs are sometimes accused of turning their kitchens into scientific laboratories, theres no doubt that when a piece of meat is heated, the reaction that takes place is a chemical one. Science and cooking are processes that go hand-in-hand, now more than ever before. The link between science and cuisine is nothing new. Disciplines such as chemistry, physics, biology and botany have always been closely related to cooking. Debates about the existence of science-based cuisine or the controversy over the terms molecular gastronomy and molecular cuisine; have made the subject a topical one. To analyze it, we need to consider the approach adopted by certain chefs and other experts who want to know why things happen. Technology has dramatically improved and reshaped every part of our lives. It has hardly left any aspect of our existence untouched. It has revolutionized the way we work, entertain ourselves and even the things we eat. The food industry has increasingly developed by adopting more advanced technologies that can deliver us healthier, fresher and more varied food. Currently, the marketplace offers a vast variety of foods we can choose from, at a better quality and lower prices than in the past. By introducing new technologies, businesses can offer better products and services in increasingly larger quantities and thus, satisfy a wider range of clients. The same holds true for the companies in the food industry. Advanced technologies are used in all the stages of food production. The first step is to help evaluate and improve the quality of the raw ingredients used. Next, theyre used in the preparation stage, where they aid at shipping and handling the materials. The last stage of processing food will make use of methods like conservation and separation, potentially adding new ingredients to create the final product. The science of molecular gastronomy has given us knowledge about why foods do what they do, under what circumstances, and how. And it has fascinated us by busting myths such as these: Oil added to boiling water prevents pasta from sticking to the pan (it doesnt) The consistency of an egg that makes it hard The expression nouvelle cuisine has been used several times in the course of the history of cooking, particularly in France in the middle of the eighteenth century. It was introduced to subordinate the practice of cooking to principles of chemistry that were to be established by Lavoisier later on. People had mixed feelings about it: for instance, Voltaire wrote I must say that my stomach does not at all agree with the nouvelle cuisine.' Today nouvelle cuisine refers to a trend of opinion that appeared in France in the 1960s. At the time, it caught on rapidly and was a great international success. Yet, as it got tangled up in its contradiction, it stopped being fashionable, and nowadays it has a negative connotation. In spite of that, it was an innovative and quite important movement, which brought about a revolution within the grande cuisine whose lessons are still present in the grand chefs minds. http://www.enotes.com/nouvelle-cuisine-reference/nouvelle-cuisine Michael Symons (1999) recent analysis of Australian neo-global cuisine is an example of gastronomy studies at work in tourism contexts. The critical examination of this review of a current gastronomic debate of particular relevance to the tourism industry (Symons 1999:333) will ease the understanding of gastronomic terms of tourism issue. These terms are of a fundamental importance in any further development of research on gastronomic tourism. Culture in general means the attitudes and behaviour that are characteristic of a particular social group or organization. Its an environment to cultivate or build oneself ethically, socially and in all other aspects that lead an all over human development. Every culture is a combination of some good and bad features. All in one, culture means a way of life. Every geographical body has its own custom viz. culture. People of different nations are recognized by their culture. One should be proud on its impressive traditions. It is the responsibility of all citizens to preserve their own ethnicity. Indian culture is richly known in other parts of the world since the ancient age. Its  multi-diverse flavour has been consistently unique in its very own way. Manners, traditions, living and trading patterns etc. are one of the graceful components of Indian culture. The most important feature of Indian culture is its values. These values are deeply rooted within the heart, mind, body and soul of its dwellers. Western culture, considered as the most advanced culture on globe, has started surmounting its flavour on Indian roots. Western culture has always shown its influence on Indian society. This could be for the multiple reasons like fascination, dreamy autonomy etc., which are somehow absent in Indian culture. Western culture conveys and promotes the ideas and values of advanced civilization across people of India. There are ample of good things found in the western culture, which every Indian should proudly learn and adopt. But what about the negative influences of the western culture? Every package comes with pros and cons. Indians should definitely use the culture strain before getting diluted under the flow of any cultural influence. The leading reasons for such impact are pursuit of wealth and power of Western media. Source Used Symons, M. (1998) The Pudding that took a Thousand Cooks: The story of cooking in civilisation and daily life, Melbourne: Viking

Shakespeares Hamlet - The Ambiguity Essay -- English Literature Cust

Hamlet – the Ambiguity      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The extent of the ambiguity within William Shakespeare’s drama Hamlet deserves consideration. Literary critics disagree in their assessments of how prevalent the ambiguity is in the work.    Lawrence Danson in the essay â€Å"Tragic Alphabet† discusses the equivocation and ambiguity within the play:    Equivocation – the conflict between the reality Hamlet perceives and the language used to describe that reality – has made all expression a matter of mere seeming, and Hamlet knows not seems. His rejection of the Claudian language extends to a rejection of all the symbolic systems that can denote a man. Thus, even his own punning (both verbal and silent) is inadequate: Hamlet chooses â€Å"nothing† since he cannot have â€Å"all†:    ‘Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother, Nor customary suits of silent black, Nor windy suspiration of forc’d breath, No, nor the fruitful river in the eye, Nor the dejected haviour in the visage, Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief, That can denote me truly. These, indeed, seem; For they are actions that a man might play; But I have that within which passes show – These but the trappings and the suits of woe. (I.ii.77)    In an ambiguous world, where all is but seeming, and hence misinterpretation, no symbol is successful. (70)    D.G. James says in â€Å"The New Doubt† that the Bard has the ambiguous habit of charging a word with several meanings at once:    â€Å"Conscience does make cowards of us.† There has been, I am aware, much dispute as to what the word means here. For my part, I find not the least difficulty in believing that the word carries both its usual meaning and that of â€Å"reflection an... ... Impulsive but Earnest Young Aristocrat.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Masks of Hamlet. Newark, NJ: Univ. of Delaware P., 1992.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html    West, Rebecca. â€Å"A Court and World Infected by the Disease of Corruption.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Court and the Castle. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1957.    Wright, Louis B. and Virginia A. LaMar. â€Å"Hamlet: A Man Who Thinks Before He Acts.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ed. Louis B. Wright and Virginia A. LaMar. N. p.: Pocket Books, 1958.    Shakespeare's Hamlet - The Ambiguity Essay -- English Literature Cust Hamlet – the Ambiguity      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The extent of the ambiguity within William Shakespeare’s drama Hamlet deserves consideration. Literary critics disagree in their assessments of how prevalent the ambiguity is in the work.    Lawrence Danson in the essay â€Å"Tragic Alphabet† discusses the equivocation and ambiguity within the play:    Equivocation – the conflict between the reality Hamlet perceives and the language used to describe that reality – has made all expression a matter of mere seeming, and Hamlet knows not seems. His rejection of the Claudian language extends to a rejection of all the symbolic systems that can denote a man. Thus, even his own punning (both verbal and silent) is inadequate: Hamlet chooses â€Å"nothing† since he cannot have â€Å"all†:    ‘Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother, Nor customary suits of silent black, Nor windy suspiration of forc’d breath, No, nor the fruitful river in the eye, Nor the dejected haviour in the visage, Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief, That can denote me truly. These, indeed, seem; For they are actions that a man might play; But I have that within which passes show – These but the trappings and the suits of woe. (I.ii.77)    In an ambiguous world, where all is but seeming, and hence misinterpretation, no symbol is successful. (70)    D.G. James says in â€Å"The New Doubt† that the Bard has the ambiguous habit of charging a word with several meanings at once:    â€Å"Conscience does make cowards of us.† There has been, I am aware, much dispute as to what the word means here. For my part, I find not the least difficulty in believing that the word carries both its usual meaning and that of â€Å"reflection an... ... Impulsive but Earnest Young Aristocrat.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Masks of Hamlet. Newark, NJ: Univ. of Delaware P., 1992.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html    West, Rebecca. â€Å"A Court and World Infected by the Disease of Corruption.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Court and the Castle. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1957.    Wright, Louis B. and Virginia A. LaMar. â€Å"Hamlet: A Man Who Thinks Before He Acts.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ed. Louis B. Wright and Virginia A. LaMar. N. p.: Pocket Books, 1958.   

Internet Hackers :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Hackers Last year, two Cloverdale teenagers pleaded guilty to federal charges. What did they do that the FBI raided their homes and seized their computers? They hacked into Pentagon computer systems. These two teenagers, Makaveli and TooShort, were also suspected of breaking into computers at universities, government agencies and military bases. This example and many others show the increase of hackers and their crimes over the years. In another story that is similar to the story about Makaveli and Too Short, from a BBC News story, Hackers target Nasa and Pentagon, an international group of computer hackers broke into Pentagon computer systems and also said they had stolen key software from Nasa. The group consisted of eight Americans, five British and two Russians. They called themselves the "Masters of Downloading." They were considering selling the information to international terrorist groups or foreign governments. The number of hacker related crimes seems to be increasing y ear by year. Theft on the internet is costing companies billions, and the high-tech industry is struggling to stop it. According to Michael Meyer's Crimes of the "Net", last year roughly $2 billion worth of software was stolen over the internet last year. Also that year, the leader of an international piracy ring operating out of Spain, pleaded guilty to a brand of fraud destined to become commonplace. According to U.S. investigators, they stole 140,000 telephone credit-card numbers. Hackers used the numbers to make a total of $140 million worth of long-distance phone calls. Now, the question is who is really at loss here. The answer is simple. Companies like GTE, AT &T, Bell Atlantic and MCI. Because of these hackers, those companies lost a lot of money. What actions must be taken to stop these theives? According to the hackers, they call what they are doing sharing. Hackers are criminals that steal from others to better themselves. They are leeches, feeding off ot her peoples' personal items. People have to become aware of the risk they face with hackers. Software and phone cards isn't the end of the stealing hackers. Everything from computer parts to flowers and teddy bears are at risk to hackers. With the increasing technology, the abuse is almost endless.

Writing Proficiency

Abstract The present study investigated the sentence-level errors of freshmen students at three proficiency levels and the aspects of writing that raters focused on while rating the essays. It views errors as valuable information for the following: For teachers, as it clues them on students’ progress; for researchers as it gives them valuable data as to how language is acquired or learned; for learners, as it enables them to reflect on their learning.The data for the present study is based on the data collected for a previous study. One hundred fifty essays written by freshmen college students on their first week of classes in five private schools in Metro Manila (30 for each participating school) were collected, word-processed, and subjected to rating and coding or errors. Most of the findings of the present study corroborate the findings of previous studies on error analysis and essay evaluation—that sentence-level errors have a significant role in essay scores.The ra ters still have the grammar accuracy model when checking essays, although it is just considered secondary to other aspects of writing such as the ability to address the prompt and organize the ideas logically. Introduction Areas of Writing Research Writing teachers and researchers have always set their teaching and research lenses on the variables that describe successful second language writing vis-a-vis unsuccessful writing.Because of this preoccupation, a plethora of research has been undertaken as regards the role of L1 in L2 Writing (Cumming, 1990; Krapels, 1991), L2 writers’ characteristics and proficiency (Hirose & Sasaki, 1994; Victori, 1999; Deane et al, 2008), L2 writing process/strategies (Arndt, 1987; Becker, 2003), L2 writing feedback/evaluation (Ferris, 1995, 1997, 2002, 2003; Goldstein, 2001, 2005) L2 writing instruction (Zhang & Zhou, 2002; Liu, 2003; Chen, 2005; Coombe & Barlow, 2004) and L2 writer’s texts (Zhang, 1997; Hinkel, 1997; Hirose, 2003).In t he analysis of L2 writers’ texts, researchers focus on the rhetorical and linguistic features that impact essay scores in different linguistic backgrounds (Becker, 2010; Gustilo, 2011). These studies are significant in that they help us in understanding the complex factors that underlie proficient and less proficient writing. Emphasis on Essay Evaluation In assessing essays, what do raters consider as more proficient and less proficient writing? Studies have established that factors such as content, rhetorical strategy or linguistic (grammar, spelling, vocabulary) and non-linguistic features (organization, style, content, etc. can separate less proficient and more proficient writing. These factors, however, are weighed differently by raters depending on their background and experience (Kobayashi, n. d. ; Weltig, n. d. , Cumming et al. , 2002). According to Weltig, ESL (English as second language), EFL (English as foreign language), and ENL (English as native language) raters weigh the aspects of writing differently. On the one hand, the ENL raters put more thrust on the non-language aspects (grammar and mechanics) and consider language-related issues as secondary in judging essays.On the other, ESL and EFL raters focus more on language erro Error Analysis As a corollary to this emphasis on essay evaluation, there is no wonder why almost inextricable in the analysis of L2 texts is the focus on errors that learners make in relation to their writing performance (Sarfraz, 2011; Sattayatham & Honsa, 2007; Kitao & Kitao, 2000). Previous studies have indicated that errors do significantly affect raters’ evaluation of the overall quality of essays. For instance, Sweedler-Brown (1993) attributed the low scores of L2 essays for the original than for the corrected essays to sentence-level errors.Kobayashi and Rinnert (1993) found that the same essays gained higher overall holistic scores when the errors were corrected. Kobayashi (n. d. ) also found that lan guage use errors and coherence breaks influenced the English teachers’ (both native speaker and Japanese teachers) judgment in terms of content and clarity but not the Japanese university students’ judgments. The error-free essays were praised as very good, but the error-laden essays were penalized with low scores. Terms and Definitions of Errors Making errors is one of the most unavoidable things in the orld. In language acquisition, learning, and teaching, error has been referred to and has been defined in many ways. Catalan (n. d. ) reviewed the terms and definitions of error in Error Studies and consolidated these definitions using the communicative event framework (addresser; addressee; code, norm, and message; and setting). From the perspective of norm or well-formedness of a sentence, error is regarded as â€Å"an infringement or deviation of the code of the formal system of communication through which the message is conveyed† (Catalan, n. . p. 66). Dulay , Burt, and Krashen (1982 p. 139 as cited in Catalan ) corroborates this definition by saying that error is the â€Å"flawed side of learner speech or writing that deviates from selected norm of mature language performance† (p. 7). Errors are alterations of the rules of the accepted norm and are termed as surface errors which may be further classified as omission errors, addition errors, misformation errors, wrong order, spelling error, systems error, and the like.Also the terms overt and covert errors (Corder, 1973, Faerch, 1984, & Medges, 1989 as cited in Catalan, n. d. ) may be added in the list. The former refers to errors that are not observable within the surface but implied in the message, and the latter refers to those that are clearly identifiable in the surface (Catalan n. d. , p. 8). Benefits of Error Analysis Error Analysis (EA) is concerned with the analyses of the errors made by L2 learners by comparing the learners’ acquired norms with the target languag e norms and explaining the identified errors ( James, 1998).Stephen Pit Corder’s (1967) seminal work â€Å"The Significance of Learner’s Errors† has given EA a significant turn in that it views errors as valuable information for three beneficiaries: for teachers, it clues them on the progress of the students; for researchers, it provides evidence as to how language is acquired or learned; for learners themselves, it gives them resources in order to learn (Corder, 1967 as cited in Maicusi, Maicusi, & Lopez, 2000, p. 170).With this approach errors are regarded as resources for learning and teaching rather than as â€Å"flaws† which connote failure in the acquisition process and ,therefore, needs to be eradicated. Despite the criticisms against EA such as complete reliance on errors per se and not seeing the whole picture of the learners’ linguistic behaviour by looking also at the nonerrors (Gass & Selinker, 1994; Maicusi, Maicusi, & Lopez, 2000), EA has contributed comprehensively to Second Language Acquisition Theory and second language writing instruction. Aim of the Study The present study aims at investigating the sentence-level rrors of freshmen students at three proficiency levels and the aspects of writing that raters focus on while rating the essays. Specifically, the present study aims at providing answers to the following research questions: 1. Do writers with higher levels of writing proficiency commit the same errors that low proficiency writers do? 2. Are there significant differences in the frequency of errors committed by low, mid, and high proficient writers? 3. Which of these errors significantly decrease essay scores? 4. What aspects of writing that affect essay scores did the raters focus on while rating the essays?Method The Essays The data for the present study is based on the data collected for a previous study. One hundred fifty essays written by freshmen college students on their first week of classes i n five private schools in Metro Manila (30 for each participating school) were collected, wordprocessed, and subjected to rating and coding or errors. Rating Three independent raters who are trained ESL teachers rated the essays using a holistic scale patterned after the TOEFL writing section and SAT scoring guides (Gustilo, 2011). Kendall’s Tau coefficient of concordance (. 71, p