A moral issue.

1. Presentation :

 

    This document is an extract from the novel Nice Work written by David Lodge and published in 1988. The scene takes place in a foundry during a management meeting in 1986. Robyn Penrose, a young university teacher is attending the meeting. This text tackles the problem of the relationships between Danny Ram, an operative, the manager and the boss Wilcox who wants to fire him because he thinks Ram is causing a bottleneck. Robyn Penrose cannot stand it and tries to convince Wilcox.

 

 2. The problem and its cause:

 

    The managers and Wilcox are discussing a problem. Indeed, a machine is continually breaking down. The cause of this problem seems to be Danny Ram, an operative who was up-graded (= he was promoted) from labourer because the foundry was short-handed, that is to say it was lacking skilled workers (they were understaffed).

    Wilcox has a plan. He wants to get rid of him, to fire him. The problem is that he does not have any good reason to do so, he does not have a basis to fire him. That is why he wants to train him. He knows Danny would not be able to grasp it and therefore he would be able to warn Danny. At the third warning, he could fire him. 

 

3. Incapacity / capaciy:

 

    Incapacity: 

- Danny Ram is not up to the job

- He can't do his job.

- He's unable to set the machine properly.

- He fails to do what they ask him to do. 

 

    Capacity:

- He is able to do his job.

- He is capable of doing his job.

- He manages to do his job.

- He succeeds in doing his job.

- He fails to do his job. 

 

4. Lack / insufficiency:

 

- There were not enough workers.

- There was a lack of workers.

- There was a shortage.

- They were short of workers.

- They lacked workers. 

 

5. Forme passive:

 

- He was upgraded

- he was promoted

- He was given a promotion

- He was chosen to work on that machine

- He was told to set the indexes

 

 6. Approfondissement:

 

Forme passive:

http://www.anglaisfacile.com/free/news/1passif.php

http://www.as-tu-vu.com/cours-de-langues/Anglais_--_Passif