Financial Statement Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial Statement Analysis - Essay Example Burberry on the other hand experienced fluctuating growth in sales. In 2011 it has a growth rate of 17.30%, which increased to 23.71 in 2012. However, it reduced to 7.62% in 2013. In 2014, it increased to 16.57%. Generally, Burberry had a positive growth in sales even though it fluctuates. During each year, it had a higher growth in sales than the industry average, implying that it has a higher performance than other firms in the industry. Burberry had a relatively stable growth in sales. Mulberry had a sharp reduction in sales. For instance from 68.84% in 2011 to 38.47% in 2012 and to -1.97% in 2013. In 2014, Mulberry experienced a slight increase in growth in sales while Burberry had a higher increase in sales growth. Mulberry had a higher growth in sales in 2011 and 2012 than both the industry and Burberry. In the last two years it had the lowest growth. Burberry had the highest growth in sales in 2013 and 2014 than industry average and Mulberry. Operating activities are the main activities of an entity because they reflect the underlying health of the company. Operating assets helps the ordinary activities of the company. Net operating assets are the difference between operating current assets and operating current liabilities. Burberry’s growth in NOA increased in 2012 from 19.12% in 2011 to 54.94%. In 2013 it decreased to 34.14%. It further decreased to 28.12% in 2014. In general, growth in NOA showed a downward trend for the company. In the case of Mulberry, it increased tremendously from 25.84% in 2011 to 151.68% in 2012. In 2013 it decreased to 101.51% while in 2014 it reduced to 44.53%. Although it had a reduction in growth in NOA, Mulberry had a higher growth in NOA than both industry average and Burberry. This implies that the company’s operating activities are more efficient than Burberry’s and other firms in the industry. Burberry, on the other hand, had a higher growth in NOA than

Second Hand Smoke Essay Example for Free

Second Hand Smoke Essay Second hand smoking has become a major problem in today’s society, and it must be changed. Although there are multiple solutions to second hand smoke some solutions include establishing separate ventilation systems in each and every restraint, planting more trees, and establishing more oxygen rich sources in areas where smoking is engaged and to ban smoking in outdoor areas. Every day between 70% and 90% of non-smokers in the American population, children and adults, are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke. It is estimated that only 15% of cigarette smoke gets inhaled by the smoker. The remaining 85% lingers in the air for everyone to breathe. (University of Minnesota, 2003). Every year tobacco use kills more than five million people every year, more than HIV, AIDS, Tuberculosis and malaria combined. (World health organization, Dec 2009). But it does not have to be this way, with a few simple changes thousands of lives could be saved. Smoking causes an estimated 90 % of all lung cancer deaths in men and 80 % of all lung cancer deaths in women (CDC, 2012). Smoking is also estimated to increase the risks of coronary disease and strokes by two to four times. CDC, 2012). But smoking also harms second hand smokers too, it is estimated that second hand somek contains over 4000 chemicals including more than 40 cancer causing agents and 200 known poisons (university of Minnesota, 2003). But should the innocent by stander really have to put his or her health at risk in order to allow the smoker to have stress control or satisfy their nicotine craving? Every day millions of families dine out at restraints across the country. Most of them having small children. Most restaurants have adopted a non smoking policy, but some still have not. For the restaurants that have not adopted a smoke free facility, they should have to implement separate ventilation, and separate sealed rooms, so the non smokers can still enjoy a fresh meal, and not have to worry about what is in the air they are breathing in. If separated sealed rooms so the non smokers can still enjoy a fresh meal, and not have to worry about what is in the air they are breathing in? If the separate ventilation systems were established, the major costs would be filters to maintain the system and ensuring smokers remained in the smoking section of the building. Other countries such as Ireland, Spain, New Zealand, Italy and Uruguay have all adopted smoke free establishments, and have had great success (World Health Organization, 2007). There is also no evidence that these bands have a negative economic impact on the hospitability sector (world Health Organization, 2003). The smoking section would have to be indoors to ensure that patrons that are outside of the restraint do not have to inhale cigarette smoke, many restaurants have a smoking area in front of their restraint, usually on a patio, but unfortunately smoke still lingers near the front entrance. And in most cases smoke still enters the inside of the restraint through sliding glass doors or tether non sealed entrances. My proposal would eliminate this problem by requiring sealed entrances, separate ventilation systems and not allowing smoking outside of the restraint entrances. One study has been conducted on separate ventilation systems removed some of but not all of the gas particles. (CDC 2012) The study also showed that ventilation systems did not remove all of the gas and particles from the cigarette smoke, but improved the air quality by 50 %. (CDC 2007). The substantial improvements from incorporation this would improve workers health, and the patrons that eat and or visit there. And in many ways it could improve the business for many establishments by catering to all patrons needs. Another proposal would be to establish smoking areas, and establish more oxygen rich sources such as trees, or plants around them. And in areas that this is not possible, I would propose to position an air filter in that area. To establish more oxygen rich sources such as trees, I would propose planting trees in the vicinity of the making areas, and issue grants encouraging businesses to plant more trees. And in places where this is not possible I would propose positioning massive air filters in the vicinity to recalculate the air, and clean out all the toxins. Thus smoking areas would be vastly improved. The only disadvantage of such proposal could be the cost of filters, cost of maintained and the possibility depending on the air purifier the noise coming from such filter. But the advantages would outweigh the disadvantages in the fact that something is being done about the second hand smoking. My last proposal would be to ban smoking in public all together. The benefits of such proposal would be enormous to not only the health of people but the environment. The health benefits of such proposal include better air quality, encouraging fellow citizens to quit smoking if they are smoking and decreased consumption of tobacco products (world health organization, 2003). According to the world health organization, only 100 % smoke free environments provide effective protection from second hand smoke (world health organization, 2003). Other benefits include lower medical costs, decreased risk of fires, higher productivity in the workplace and lower insurance premiums (world health organization, 2003). To enforce the ban on smoking fines could be implemented to discourage fellow citizens from smoking in public. The fines would have to be hefty enough to encourage smokers not to light up in public, and to encourage a healthier lifestyle. The fine would be between 250-300 dollars. And would be enforced by local police departments and other law enforcement. Such as substantial fine would discourage smokers from engaging in smoking in public places, and would also be steep enough to be taken seriously. Because most of the citiziens would not take a law seriously if it did not take from their pocket. Contrary to the belief, smoking bans do not infringe upon anyone’s rights as they are protecting peoples rights by regulating where to smoke, and where not to smoke. (World health organization, 2003). And they cost very little helping businesses and personal alike. In fact most smokers actually prefer a non smoking environment, and choose to eat at a smoke free environment (world health organization 2003). And once a smoker chooses to quit, it makes it easier to dine out at a smoke free restraint because it encourages them not to light up again. In conclusion smoking in public would dramatically increase the health of the nation as a whole. It has been shown that second hand smoke causes multiple health problems, and by encouraging a healthier lifestyle ti could dramatically improve the lives and health of all citizens involved. It has been shown that most smokers prefer a non smoking environment, and many smokers are encouraged to stop smoking after living in areas where smoking is banned. Most people in the world are non smokers and should not have to be exposed to second hand smoke, and smokers should have every opportunity afforded to them to quit.

Finding A Job Essay -- Process Essays Work Job Essays

Finding A Job Every day someone is looking for a job. Whether that person is a recent graduate, a person laid-off from work, or a person that wants a different job, their diligent search turns into a carefully planned search for employment. It is important that a person knows how to search effectively for a job. There are three effective ways to look for a job: use a variety of resources, do a resume, and go on interviews.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One way a person can look for a job effectively is to use a variety or resources, such as the newspaper, the Internet, or the local Job-Service Agency. The newspaper can be used to help find a job by looking at the job listings in the classified ad sections. The job listings in a newspaper vary depending on what is listed. One can find the classified ads by using the newspaper's index, which is located in the front of the newspaper. Another resource that can be used is the Internet. The Internet contains many search engines that can be used to find a specific job. One can even apply for jobs over the Internet. A person can also use the local Job-Service Agency to find a job. A Job-Service Agency can help the unemployed person find a job in the area where he or she lives. The Job-Service Agency tries to match ones skills with the jobs that are available.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another good way of looking for a job, is to actually walk into the store/place that may be a good place to work. Up at the customer service they have job applications. Ask one of ...

Scottish Sports :: essays research papers fc

After the dethronement of Louis XVI, politics for the first time in France had become an issue for the French to systemize and regulate. No longer did the citizens have to follow the will of the kings’ â€Å"godly design† but now would be represented by a republic of the people. Very quickly political factions began to emerge across France. The two major political factions of the Convention were the Jacobins and the Girondins, which held very opposite beliefs of the future of the monarchy. However, both had a strong ambition to gain supremacy in the Convention and to ultimately control the direction of the Revolution. Although in doing so the factions had to gain the support of the Marais, the group that did not belong to any faction. The first issue for the elected deputies of France was to determine the fate of the former King of France, Louis XVI. The strong will of the Jacobin’s beliefs and the ineffective representation of Girondin philosophy strengthened J acobin support and ultimately determined the death of Louis XVI.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All three political groups were not the same as the ones found in today’s political campaigns. These historic parties had, â€Å"no party machinery, no party funds, no party discipline on voting and in most cases no party platform. They were at best loosely-connected groups of men who had been friends, who shared political ideas, or who were thrown together on specific issues.† However the citizens believed them to be their representatives in the new regime that would debate for the good of the country based on the new principles. The Jacobin faction was formerly the Society of the Friends of the Constitution and was made up of intelligent bourgeoisie. After the Assembly moved to Paris the group enlarged and rented the former residence of the Dominican monks which were known as the Jacobins, a name eventually inherited by the society. The Jacobins strongly supported power in Paris, and heavily pushed egalitarian aspirations. The Jacobins firmly belie ved that their group represented the people. During the course of the trial of Louis XVI the approximately one hundred and ten members of the Mountain (as they were referred to in the convention because of their choice of the higher seating) believed that Louis should be â€Å"judged by the highest tribunal in the land, the people in the revolution on August the 10,1792.† Their final conclusion was that Louis was guilty of treason and that he should be punished by way of the guillotine.

Footfall Management

CERTIFICATE This is to certify that the project title â€Å"foot fall in mall † has been accomplished by Mr. Niraj kumar, Mr. Sushil kumar, Mr. Nagender kumar, Ms Rajni, Ms. Neha Arora under my guidance and supervision. They have submitted in the partial fulfillment of requirement of PGDM from This DELHI SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES AND RESEARCH, DELHI work as not been submitted anywhere else for the award of degree. All source of information have been dully mentioned. (Ms. Noopur Aggarwal) SUPERVISIOR DELHI SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES AND RESEARCH, DELHI -110085 CONTENTS Chapter-1 Meaning Of Footfall ? Meaning of footfall ? Objectives of study ? Limitation to study Chapter-2 Techniques to measure footfall ? Camera traffing monitioring ? Electronic footfall monitioring ? Automated counting ? Manual counting Chapter -3 An Glimpseof Shoppers Stop ? Introduction of shoppers stop ? Features of shoppers stop(rajouri) ? Structure of mall ? Parking system ? Visitior’s information Chapter-4 Research Methodology ? Type of research ? Research approach ? Sampling design ? Collection of data Chapter-5 Finding And Conclusions Opinions Questionnaire References Chapter-1 FOOTFALL Defination-Objective Of Study,Limitation to Study Meaning of footfall Footfall, is a measurement of the number of people entering a shop or other public space. The number of people are visiting a shop or mall in a day,that much will be understood the footfall for that day. If 15000 people are visiting a mall in one week, it means footfall for the week is 15000 for the week. footfall is an important indicator of how successfully a company’s marketing,brand and format are bring people into its shop. In europeon culture footfall is known as padestrian counting. OBJECTIVE OF RESEARCH ON FOOTFALL ? To know the importance of footfall measurement in modern scenario This research study will help to throw light on importance of footfall measurement. To know the causes, organization’s interest in knowing the footfall ? To know the impact on marketing initiatives Footfall affect the a marketing head to decide some new events should be organized or not. The effect of footfall effect a manager to what extent ? To know how we can understand customer behavior pattern Footfall is really a measureable scale in understanding the behavior of customer. This study will tell us. ? To know how footfall effect on decision of heads of mall Limitations to study †¢ No leave is provided to visit the mall. All the data collection, survey are done during our study. †¢ Without having Identity cards it was very difficult to contact with any superior authority †¢ Manager were not ready to tell about the security aids and system. †¢ They feared their ideas will be copied by other competitor. ADVANTAGES OF MEASURING FOOTFALL FOR A MALL ? Provide an indication of customer behaviour patterns ? Assess the impact of marketing initiatives Tailor staff levels according to customer demand, rather than to service supply. ? Empower businesses to better target their marketing efforts ? To check the efficiency of staff Chapter-2 Techniques to measure footfall 1. CAMERA TRAFFING MONITORING The cameras do the traffic monitoring themselves; it isn't a question of simply recording video footage and manual operators counting the numbers of pe ople! The cameras are able to count people by making comparisons between a discreet image that changes rapidly over time, and the stationary background. The camera technology is state-of-the-art, with ongoing research investigating ways of programming the cameras to take the analysis a level further and distinguish between adults and children, and even make confident distinctions between people and supermarket trolleys. 2. Electronic footfall monitoring: Advances in electronics have added sophisticated footfall monitoring to retailers' information weaponry. Many retailers are reported to be experimenting with this new technology, but limited discussion exists in the public domain on its potential role or retailer experiences. 3. Automated Counting Automated counting is done through some censurey aids invented by advance technology. [pic] [pic] Many types of automated counting ? Hydro acoustic tubes ? Pneumatic tubes ? Inductive loops ? Acoustic slab sensors ? Passive infrared censors ? Active infrared censors 4. counting manually a person enters in a mall he finds a durwan/guard at standing at gate, he not only greets him but he will be counting the no. of person entering in mall by a handful size instrument. Chapter-3 Introduction of Shoppers stop ltd. [pic] Eros Mall, Plot No. 10, Shivaji Palace, District Center, Raja Garden, Rajouri New Delhi,   Delhi 110027 Phone: 011 – 4505 5400 / 25444101 INTRODUCTION OF SHOPPERS STOP Shopper’s stop has been a pioneer in the departmental store format since it’s beginning in 1991. Shoppers stop is launched as a men’s ready-to-wear garment store in Andheri, Mumbai. shoppers stop is the part of K. Raheja corp. it’s CEO is Govind Shrikhande and managing director is B. S. Nagesh. it has large chain of 28 departmental store around country. shoppers sop rajouri is the 25th store of chain. Shoppers stop are the first global style retailer in India with a wide range of merchandise. Exclusive Shop counters of international brands and world class customer service. In our Endeavour to retain our positioning as a global retailer we sought to bring the best retail technology, retail practices and sales to india. Features of shoppers stop (Rajouri). ? Shoppers stop rajouri is the biggest departmental stores of india. ? It has 1. 35 lakh sq ft retail area ? It Houses an overwhelming range of premium international and national brands. ? It is a four storey mall ? World class ambiance and cleanness ? Great services to customers through customer service desk or first citizen desk ? Water dispenser were available on every floor ? Four fire exits ? Two washrooms at every floor Sitting arrangement and journals, newspaper are kept beside sofas ? Gift wrapping and alteration. Structure Of Mall ? Ground floor DEPARTMENT NAME : JEWELERY OR SUNGLASS ? Javeri pearls, damas, haute curry, fastrack DEPARTMENT NAME : COSMETIC ? Ponds, lakme, lorell, clearance Brio Leathers ? FIRST FLOOR DEPARTMENT NAME : LADIES ETHENIC †¢ Kashish, Kashish gold, Biba, satyapau l, ritu wear, W, Diy, DEPARTMENT NAME : LINGERIE †¢ Lovable,b’witch, Department name : Men’s formal †¢ Austin reed,blackberry Provoke,wills lifestyle,van hussen,gaps,color plus,satyapaul,arrow,Louis phillip,tommy Hilfiger,FCUK DEPARTMENT NAME : Kids †¢ Mothercare,pumpkin patch,united colour of Benetton, giny jony, ruff,zapp,Lilliput,Barbie,toys DEPARTMENT NAME : Ladies western †¢ Wills lifestyle,noi,zipsy,ven hussen, Indian terren, Austin reed,blackberry,remanika DEPARTMENT NAME : Mens casual †¢ Spyker,I jeans, levi, pepe,calvin clein,esprit,united color of Benetton, push and shove 3rd Floor DEPARTMENT NAME : Home section †¢ Masphar,portico DEPARTMENT NAME : Sports wear †¢ Mysha,royal sporting house, adidas, nike, reepok,puma, †¢ Luggage section 4TH FLOOR †¢ Desi cafe, food factory, moti mahal, PARKING SYSTEM Double storey basement parking is the special attribute of shoppers stop. 200 cars can parked easily in parking. direct lift service from parking to main floors. free parking for first citizen of shoppers stop. two- way enterance and exit, valley parking is also available here VISITOR’S INFORMATION Shoppers stop(rajouri) is situated in heart of city at rajaouri Garden in Eros mall in delhi beside the ring road. a visitor can reach to place by bus and metro. Rajouri metro station is attire of shopper stop. It is 22 k. m from international airport and 18 k. m. from domestic airport. This place has many competetant in area like Westside,tdi mall,citisqure mall,west gate,paragon mall . TECHNIQUES TO MEASURE FOOTFALL AT STORE Store is using the manual counting system to count the footfall. When person enters in the mall the guard at the gate he presses the button of handful machine in his hand. This help to store manager to know the footfall in the store through this data. Floor foot fall is also measured in the same way,to know the floor footfall measurement. The guards standing over there they feed the no. Of persons visiting on the floor in machine. Chapter-4 Research Methodology Types of research Analytical research:- during all the study, by the available information researcher tries to find out effects on human behavior during any special occasions. Conceptual research:- study reveals the idea that durig Sales period or festive seasons or any special event has increased the footfall up to 100% . so, a retailer should be ready with innovative ideas to attract customer. Research Approaches Quantitative approach:- during study selected executive and managers were contacted to know their view on footfall measurement. By the data cikkectuib study, it infers the rrelation between population and their behavior. Sampling design Systematic sampling :- in study, people were selected randomly and asked question and their views Collection of data Primary data:- Many Sr. managers and dept. managers are contacted through questionnaire and their views are included in study. Secondary data:- books, journals and internet gave sufficient way to solve the problem. Collection of data through questionnaires:- the questionnaire was made according the problems which arise during the study. What is the impact of footfall on decision making, how is it important to decide future plans of organizations. The head executive and sales executive were asked to fill this questionnaire. Chapter-5 FINDING AND CONCLUSIONS Finding After completing the research it is found that in festive seasons or sales time mall are getting the increased no. of customer in their outlets or malls. Footfall helps a organization to decide that how many employee should be continued in the oultlet on some day. footfall shows the efficiency of a sales executive comes out by the help of footfall. Conclusions:- It is really very helpful tool to know the firm about their state and way of progress Opinions The best department manager in chain of shoppers stop awarded Miss Anuradha Sharma tells that during sales period the footfall increases upto 100 % and various activities in store attracts 20% extra customer to their shop. She tells the manual technique of footfall is used in measurement of footfall in the store. She also agrees that the facts of footfall are great helpful to better target their market efforts. Department manager of home section in shoppers stop rajouri Mr. chander verma, says†sales period are obiviously increasing the no. customer in double fold†. Last festive season their department has achived more than 50%. He confirmed that manual technique of footfall is used in footfall. His opinion about footfall, he thinks’these really help us to forecast the no. of visiotor to our shop. Sales executive of â€Å"w† brand in city square mall Mr. Rajesh tells he finds the no. of visitors to their outlet goes up by 100% during sales. he also agrees that festive season they get a good business and their sales increases upto 50% Delhi school of professional studies and research INSTITUTIONAL AREA ,ROHINI SECT-25 DELHI-110085 Name _____________________________________________ Post _______________________________________________ Name of organization__________________________________ What is the % increase in number of customer during sales period. A. 10 -25 B. 25-50 C. 50-75 D. 75-100 Increase in number of customer during any special events A. Doesn’t affect B. Upto 20% C. 30-50% D. 50-100% E. More than 100% Which technique is used to measure footfall in you mall? A. CAMERA TRAFFING MONITORING B. Electronic footfall monitoring: C. Automated Counting D. counting manually does footfall helps to better target their market efforts A. yes B. no signature

Problems with Euthanasia essays

Problems with Euthanasia essays FINAL ESSAY: 3 TEAM: 2 Esther Quintana Martà ­nez de Iturrate 27-12-03 PROBLEMS WITH EUTHANASIA AND ASSISTED SUICIDE Euthanasia is one of the most debatable issues worldwide nowadays, the debate is so controversial and the opposing viewpoints are so many that the term is hard to define. If we go back to the origin of the word we find that it comes from the two Greek words: eu and thanatos which mean easy death. According to the Collins English Dictionary the definition of the term is: The act of killing someone painlessly, especially to relieve suffering from an incurable illness. Also called mercy killing. Euthanasia and assisted suicide are exchangeable terms that have been used in many countries such as Holland, Switzeland and New Zealand to pass legislation in order to provide some kind of psycological or physical benefit for terminal or incurable patients and their families. The reasons that push people to end their life vary, one of the most common reasons is to end the pain of the person (physical or psychological), another common reason is to guarantee a dignified death and to have contr ol over the process. The issue involves the decisions of the patients and the doctors as well as of the families. Sometimes these decisions are hard, especially when the patients are not able to decide by themselves. In this case, doctors and family have to decide for them, and this is the point where they have to face economic, legal and personal factors which can put a lot pressure on the decision to be made. While advocates of assisted suicide suggest that this would provide people with autonomy and personal control, the opponents would disagree saying that people with illnesses and disabilities would have these decisons made for them and imposed on them. In this essay I am going to discuss these factors and the problems with assisted suicide and I am going to argue that in my view, euthanasia sho...

Using Quotations in Essays - a Guide

Using Quotations in Essays - a Guide If you want to make an impact on your reader, you can draw on the potential of quotations. The  effective use of quotations  augments the power of your arguments and makes your essays more interesting. But there is a need for caution! Are you convinced that the quotation you have chosen is helping your essay and not hurting it? Here is a checklist to ensure that you are doing the right thing: What Is This Quotation Doing in This Essay? Let us begin at the beginning. You have a chosen a quotation for your essay. But, why that specific quotation? A good quotation should do one or more of the following: make an opening impact on the readerbuild credibility for your essayadd humormake the essay more interestingclose the essay with a point to ponder upon. If the quotation does not meet a few of these objectives, then it is of little value. Merely stuffing a quotation into your essay can do more harm than good. Your Essay Is Your Mouthpiece Should the quotation speak for the essay or should the essay speak for the quotation? Quotations should add impact to the essay and not steal the show. If your quotation has more punch than your essay, then something is seriously wrong. Your essay should be able to stand on its own legs; the quotation should merely make this stand stronger. How Many Quotations Should You Use in Your Essay? Using too many quotations is like having several people shouting hoarse on your behalf. This will drown your voice. Refrain from overcrowding your essay with words of wisdom from famous people. You own the essay, so make sure that you are heard Dont Make it Look Like You Plagiarized Are there any expected standards for using quotations in an essay? Yes, there are. The most important one is that you should not give the impression of being the author of the quotation. That would amount to plagiarism. Here are a set of rules to clearly distinguish your writing from the quotation: Sometimes, you describe the quotation in your own words before using it. In this case, you should use a colon (:) to indicate the beginning of the quotation. Then begin the quotation with a quotation mark (). After you have completed the quotation, close it with a quotation mark (). Here is an example:Sir Winston Churchill made a witty remark on the attitude of a pessimist: A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.Sometimes the sentence in which the quotation is embedded does not describe the quotation, but merely introduces it. In this case, do away with the colon. Simply use the quotation marks. Here is an example:Sir Winston Churchill once said A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.As far as possible, you should mention the author and the source of the quotation. For instance:In Shakespeare’s play As You Like It, Touchstone says to Audrey in the Forest of Arden The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool. (Act V, Scene I). Ensure that the source of your quotation is authentic. Also, verify the author of your quotation. You can do so by looking up the quotation on authoritative Web sites, such as this one. But for formal writing, do not rely on just one Web site. Blend Quotations In An essay can seem quite jarring if the quotation does not blend in. The quotation should naturally fit into your essay. No one is interested in reading quotation-stuffed essays. Here are some good tips on blending in your quotations: You can begin your essay with a quotation that sets off the basic idea of the essay. This can have a lasting impact on your reader. In the introductory paragraph of your essay, you can comment on the quotation if you like. In any case, do ensure that the relevance of the quotation is communicated well.Your choice of phrases and adjectives can significantly boost the impact of the quotation in your essay. Do not go with monotonous phrases like:George Washington once said...If your essay merits the use of powerful speech, consider using emphatic expressions like:George Washington rocked the nation by saying ... Using Long Quotations It is usually better to have short and crisp quotations in your essay. However, if you are convinced that a particular long quotation is more effective, make sure that you follow the necessary rules. When is it Appropriate to use Long Quotations in Your Essay?:  It is your judgment call. Let me explain. Long quotations must be used sparingly as they tend to weigh down the reader. However, there are times when your essay has more impact with a longer quotation. If you have decided to use a long quotation, consider paraphrasing, as it usually works better. But, there is a flip side to paraphrasing too. Instead of the paraphrase, if you use a direct quotation, you will avoid misrepresentation. As you can see, the decision of using a long quotation is not trivial. Once again, it is your judgment call. Punctuating Long Quotes:  Long quotations should be set off as block quotations. Formatting block quotations should be as per the guidelines that you might have been provided. If there are no specific guidelines, you can follow the usual standard - if a quotation is more than three lines long, you block it. Blocking implies indenting it about half an inch on the left. Often, setting up a long quotation is warranted. Writing a brief introduction displays your understanding of the subject. In other cases, you might need to provide a complete analysis of the quotation. In this case, it is best to state the quotation and follow it with the analysis, rather than the other way around Using Cute Quotes Some students choose a cute quotation first, and then try to plug it into their essay. As a consequence, such quotations drag the reader away from the essay. Quoting poetry:  Quoting a verse from a poem can add a lot of charm to your essay. I have come across writing that acquires a romantic edge merely by including a poetic quotation. If you are quoting from poetry, keep in mind that: A small extract of a poem, say about two lines long, requires the use of slash marks (/) to indicate line breaks. Here is an example: Charles Lamb has aptly described a child as A childs a plaything for an hour;/ Its pretty tricks we try / For that or for a longer space; / Then tire, and lay it by. (1-4) If you use a single line extract of a poem, punctuate it like any other short quotation without the slashes. Quotation marks are required at the beginning and at the end of the extract. However, if your quotation is more than three lines of poetry, I would suggest that you treat it like you would have treated a long quotation from prose. In this case, you should use the block quote format. Does Your Reader Understand the Quotation? Do you use quotations in your essays? Surely you follow the expected standards. But, that may not be enough. Having followed all the standards and punctuation, you must ask the critical question: Do readers understand the quotation and its relevance to my essay? If the reader is re-reading a quotation, just to understand it, then you are in trouble. So when you choose a quotation for your essay, ask yourself the following questions: Is this too convoluted for my reader?Does this match the tastes of my audience?Is the grammar and vocabulary in this quotation understandable?